A Doting Devil
by CMorningstar
Summary: Complete: (A continuation of Season 3) When something (or is that *someone*?) happens that neither of them ever thought possible, the Detective helps the Devil see the brighter side of his dad's motives. She now knows he was telling the truth the whole time, but with his true face back, just how human does she make him? FLUFF ALERT! (Artwork by SeedsOfLily)
1. If You Insist

_Hello! This is my first time writing for Lucifer and my first rated M story. I haven't written anything in so long, so please be gentle. I know Lucifer and Chloe may seem a bit out of character in this chapter, but I hope to really capture their essence…or at least their perceived evolution of their characters in later chapters. Obviously, I have no idea what will happen in Season 4, but this is my continuation of the story after the Season 3 finale while we wait. Enjoy!_

 _PS: I'll update as I can, but I apologize in advance for any long durations between chapters._

 **The Doting Devil  
By: Cora**

Chapter 1

Chloe took a deep, shaking breath as the elevator made its way to the Lux Penthouse, the events of the past few weeks on a loop every time she closed her eyes. Calling off her wedding to Marcus Pierce felt like just a small blip compared to Charlotte's death at the same man's hands. She tried to silently clear her throat, rubbing at the bruise on her chest left by the bullet that came mere millimeters away from missing the vest entirely.

But despite all the bullets and all the death recently, the one thing that stuck in her mind most vividly was a face. A red, glowing, smoldering face with the voice of the man that meant so much to her. The man that had her second guessing herself when she was so in love with Marcus.

' _Oh, stop lying to yourse-'_ The elevator doors slid open to the accompanying ding and she was greeted with the sounds of a soft melody from the piano. The musician didn't turn around, but the dark brown hair was back. She breathed a small sigh of relief as she quietly made her way to place a soft hand on his shoulder before taking a seat beside him on the bench.

"I didn't scare you off, Detective?" he said in a tone even more vulnerable than Chloe had ever heard. His playing faded away as he looked at the woman next to him with his big brown eyes.

She shook her head slowly, eyes shining in the dim firelight. "No Lucifer," she looked at the keys and played with a low C, concentrating. "I wanted to say thank you. For saving my life. Again. I...I know you put a lot at risk doing what you did."

"And I'd do it all over again if I had to. You know that, Chloe."

"I do. I do know that. I just," she looked deep into those big, sincere, smiling eyes, a force she couldn't resist drawing her hand to his cheek, "I'm sorry I never believed you. I...I thought I saw... _that_ when we first started working together, but convinced myself it was a figment of my imagination or...or a trick of the light in that power plant, but...it was true. It was always true."

"And you're fine with all this?"

"I will be once I can wrap my head around it," she shrugged, "but what did I tell you before we got the call about Charlotte?"

"That I wasn't the devil. But I _am_ Chloe. I _am_ the devil. You've seen it now."

"I said you weren't the devil to me. And I've seen _you_ for the past couple years, Lucifer. Okay, you're the devil, but you're also the man that plays Monopoly with my kid and makes me laugh. Now that you're a little more down to Earth, you would do whatever you can to help bring justice to how many of our victims now? I don't think you do it just to punish the bad guys anymore. I think you like giving closure to their families."

"I like spending time with you, Detective."

"That's a good excuse, I guess. But as much as you don't want to admit it, I think you're an awfully good guy." Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried not to let her eyes wander down to his beautiful lips.

Lucifer read her mind and brushed a light, gentle kiss on hers, her arms wrapping around his torso, under his jacket, sending shivers down his spine. "Chlo," he whispered, leaning his forehead to hers.

"Don't stop."

He pulled her as close as possible on the piano bench, deepening the kiss, his tongue pushing through her lips and exploring every inch of her mouth. She let out a moan, pulling at his shirt to untuck it before losing patience and going for his belt buckle. Lucifer's heart squeezed with regret as he grabbed her wandering hands, "Chloe. You're sure?"

"Lucifer, I can't explain how I feel about you, but I _can_ tell you I've never been more sure about something." She pulled him back down to continue.

He let her hands wander again as he started undressing her as slowly as he could control himself, his heart trying to jump out of his throat. He wrapped one strong arm around her waist and scooted them both off the bench, setting her down long enough to shimmy off the jeans he'd undone and lift off her shirt. Her pale skin glowing and flickering with the dancing flames.

Realizing her current state, she folded her arms, shying away. "Chloe," Lucifer looked at her, breathless, "you are absolutely stunning." He reached behind her and gently pulled the ponytail out of her hair, guiding her locks to drape around her shoulders. Playing with the clasp of her silky black bra, he feathered kisses on her neck until it and the matching lace panties fell to the floor.

"You're overdressed," she grinned with new confidence and finished unbuttoning his shirt, letting it join the pile with a feather light thud, his slacks following close behind. The excitement was obvious in the tight black Armani boxer briefs. "Wow…" Chloe slipped a soft, cold hand under the waistband, grabbing his erection and licking her lips slowly.

"Detective, you're making me blush," he shivered at her touch, practically growling. Gathering the woman up in his arms, she let go and put hers around his neck, kissing him as he carried her to the bedroom.

He laid her down oh so gently, climbing on top of her and working his tongue down her entire body as she whimpered. Begged. "Lucifer…"

"Shh, not yet." His heart still pounded loudly in his throat. Of all the sex he'd ever had, this was different. This time there was pressure on him. He'd only been bragging to this woman for years how wonderful he was. He couldn't catch his breath as his kisses went farther up her thighs. He was…nervous? ' _Do_ not _let your bloody feelings get in the way of this, dammit.'_

With almost a shaky hand, he reached up and started rubbing her clit with his thumb. The detective gasped and wiggled her hips into his quickening touch. Once he replaced it with his tongue, it sent her reeling. Her back arched as she moaned. Lacing his fingers together to pin down her hips, she reached down to twist her fingers in his hair, holding him there until her hands gripped for the bed sheets. "Lucif...Lucif…" she panted.

"What is it you desire, Chlo?"

"I have a….a….condom….in….."

"Shh, I'm immortal," Lucifer whispered, moving himself up to kiss her neck and slipped two fingers inside her warmth, her head digging deeper into the pillow, "nothing to worry about."

"Then please just take me, Lucifer," she ran her fingernails up and down his back, sending shock waves all the way down to his toes.

He couldn't resist any longer either and slid himself inside her as slowly as he could, an unrecognizable sound of pent up pleasure escaping his lips. She moaned loudly gasping at his size, digging her nails into his back.

Lucifer stopped, still inside, "Are you okay? I'm sorry."

"Please don't stop. Keep going. Please?" She reached down to squeeze his round ass and hooked her legs around his thighs.

He kissed her neck, moving slowly again inside her, "Tell me if you need me to stop, love."

She grabbed his face, rubbing his scruffy cheeks with her thumbs, "Just pound me already, Lucifer. Please."

"Well, Detective," his eyes twinkled as a grin spread across his face, "if you so insist."


	2. Miss Lipozene

_Ahh, yep. I told you it would be a while. Sorry! Here's chapter two. I have a LOT of chapter three already written in notes, so hopefully it doesn't take too long to piece it all together into something somewhat legible. :) Feel free to review. I'm very nervous to see what everyone thinks, so be nice. ;) Enjoy!_

Chapter 2

Lucifer woke up as the sunlight flooded in through the floor to ceiling windows, almost startling him after days of grey skies and drizzle. He smirked, thinking of the irony. The devil hated rainy, gloomy California winter days. Though recently they were much more tolerable, evenings spent on the couch with the detective and mostly cheesy movies of her's or her spawn's choosing.

He didn't mind the nights in, even when Trixie joined them. In the past couple of months she'd introduced him to Sorry, Guess Who, Uno and Clue, though her mother was no longer allowed to join in on that one. He grinned when he saw her Twister game she'd brought with her the night before, spread out across the room. After she passed out on the couch to _Twilight_ and, much to Chloe's surprise, Lucifer carried her into Maze's old bedroom, they'd played their own very adult version of the classic.

He chalked up a mental note to replace it with a brand new game before the little spawn got suspicious as to where hers was. As her mother stirred, he rolled over to see her bare, flawless back glowing in the morning sun. He couldn't resist tracing a feather light finger over her shoulder blades, down her spine, connecting the dots between freckles, and losing himself in drawing shapes on her back.

"Did the devil just draw a heart on my back?" she mumbled, clearly amused.

He chuckled, "It was either that or a penis. Got a Sharpie?" He wrapped his arms around her torso, just under her breasts and drew her close, running his palm down her belly and between her thighs. Her entrance was still slick from the night before, the feeling instantly hardening his cock and causing his eyes to flutter shut as he moaned against her neck.

She purred and hooked a foot behind his thigh, "Good morning to you too, Mr. Morningstar."

Lacing his fingers with hers, he thrust into her from behind, both a little surprised at the noises they made. Lucifer reached up to grab her chin, covering her biting lip with his, speeding up his thrusts.

Chloe whimpered with ecstasy into the devil's mouth, nibbling on his tongue to keep herself quiet and joining his rhythm. As the intensity built, she reached behind and put a hand on his lower belly, her whimpering changed, "Lucifer…Lucifer stop."

He shuttered, unable to stop his thrusting so quickly, eventually slowing down reluctantly and panting against her shoulder as he pulled out, "What is it?"

Her breathing slowed to a careful, measured cadence as her skin grew clammy and pale. "I'm sorry, I don't… I don't know…"

Lucifer tried to calm himself down, wanting to show as much concern for the woman as he could without letting on to the fact that he was a little worked up and couldn't just turn it off at this point. That is, until Chloe reached over to grab the trash can and started heaving. The mood completely shot, he got up on his knees and quickly grabbed her sandy blond hair from the splash zone. "Detective?"

"Uuugh..." She was shaking and on the brink of tears, "I am so sorry, Lucifer, I..."

This was certainly a first. Normally he would have been absolutely appalled, but as she threw up again, his other hand started rubbing her back, "Shh, don't apologize." She nodded, wiping her eyes and climbing out of bed, taking the bin with her toward the bathroom. "Need any help?" Lucifer got up and wrapped his silk robe around himself, starting to follow.

She shook her head, obviously embarrassed, "No. No, I'm sorry. I'm just gonna get this cleaned up and…" a hand went to her mouth as she ran the rest of the way, barely making it to the toilet in time.

Feeling a bit awkward for just standing there, he sheepishly knocked on the door frame, "You're sure?" She moaned an affirmative, so he padded off to the kitchen and started breakfast.

A half an hour later, there were three omelets on the table, toast, two cups of coffee, and a grape juice. Lucifer took a step back from the table and raised an eyebrow. "What in Dad's name have I become?"

"Oooh, Luci! You got some 'splaining to do," Chloe laughed, grabbing a piece of toast and kissing the cook.

"Would a 1950's housewife be packing this?"

"Little eyes!" Trixie called knowingly, coming around the corner.

Chloe's hands threw the ties back into a bow on his robe, holding the toast in her teeth and exchanging a flirty eyebrow flutter with the somewhat domesticated devil. "I knew teaching her that would come in handy," he winked.

"Morning, Monkey! How are you feeling this morning?" The little girl's mom put a hand on her forehead, "Feeling cruddy at all?"

She looked confused, sitting down and taking a drink of her grape juice. "No?"

"I was just curious. Your dad's been out with the flu the last few days and I think I might have ended up with it."

"Not feeling any better, Detective?" Lucifer asked, pulling out her chair and taking a seat at his own.

She shrugged and took a bite of her omelet, "No, I am actually." Or she was until she caught a whiff of the mushrooms and a fresh bout of nausea threatened to work its way up. "But I think I'm going to play it safe and just have coffee this morning. Thank you though," she had to push the plate away and breathe through her mouth until the feeling passed. "Anything exciting going on at school today, Trix?"

Lucifer ate in uncharacteristic silence, just watching Chloe interact with her spawn. Even after seeing her throw up the contents of last night's dinner, she was still able to render him speechless with the look in her eyes that came from being around the child.

Recently though, there was something else in those big blue eyes. It seemed like the same giddiness that he'd been failing to reign in since they'd finally been able to act like a real couple. He didn't dislike the feeling, it just felt so foreign to him. Surreal. Even more surreal to see it reflected in someone he felt so strongly about.

He had become so engrossed in watching Chloe that he jumped when her phone went off, much to Trixie's amusement. "You okay over there?" the blond smiled, but turned serious when she answered the phone, "Decker. Yeah? Okay, send me the address and we'll be there as soon as we can."

"I know what that means," Trixie sighed and scooted her chair out, scarfing down the last two bites of her omelet. "I'll go get dressed for school."

"Love you, Monkey!" Chloe chuckled, "Only took me 9 years to get her trained to do that. How long will it take with you?"

"Right, right. Back in a flash," Lucifer got up from the table and leaned over to plant a kiss on Chloe's cheek, "Glad you're feeling better, Detective. It's always a turn on being bossed around by you." She playfully rolled her eyes and got up to start clearing the dishes until she heard, "Leave something for the housekeeper to do!" from the other room.

* * *

"You know Detective, you could have warned me to dress a little warmer for this," Lucifer tugged at his suit jacket and gave an exaggerated shiver.

"You're already in a three piece suit. It's not _that_ cold in here," Chloe tried to remain serious and somber as they made their way to the rink at the Lynwood Iceplex, but the big tough devil was being such a baby.

"I'm not used to this, Chloe. Spent millenia in Hell, remember? Chose LA over Minneapolis for a reason, you see?"

"So what do we got?" Detective Decker moved her jacket to show the badge to security and ducked under the yellow tape, grateful for the mats the rink had laid out for LAPD.

Ella was at the center of the rink, taking pictures of the woman when her ponytail spun around faster than she did, "Ooooh, arriving together again like we have no idea what's going on?" She winked and cocked a finger gun at the couple. Chloe just had time to flash a partially amused, partially embarrassed side eye before she started, "Victim is 24 year old Chelsea Adamson, married to Mitch Adamson, the grieving widower over there talking to Thompson." She motioned to the bloodied white ice skate by the girl's thigh, "Lacerations to both wrists look like these blades did a lot more than cutting ice. And see how the blade has been sharpened to a point? If I remember my 7th grade obsession with Michelle Kwan well enough, I know that's not how ice skates are sharpened. They're usually sharpened to have two edges, an inside edge and an outside edge with a concave crescent moon type of deal in between."

"Suicide?" Lucifer asked, clearly confused as to why the whole team had been assembled for the occasion.

"That's what everyone thought when she was found. However, when crews first arrived, they found this on the floor at the entrance to the ice," the brunette held up an evidence bag. "It's a camcorder! Personally, I didn't even think these things still existed. I mean it's pretty small, so maybe from early 2010's, but still? Who even uses these anymore? Like where is your phone, my dude?!"

"Could it be hers?" Chloe raised an eyebrow, "Maybe she set it up on the rail to record her routine to see what needed work? Or a parents' that got forgotten at the peewee hockey game last night?"

Ella shook her head, "I don't think so. There's signs everywhere around here saying no videos or photography. I guess they've had issues with coaches scamming choreography from the figure skaters that they decided enough was enough. Taking the 'live in the moment' approach, you know? I've thought about doing that. I feel like I'm always trying to save the moment for later instea-"

"So why does a camcorder lead everyone to suspect this was a murder?" Lucifer interjected before the young lady went too far down the rabbit hole.

"Because our victim here has been the main target of those schemes the last couple years and made a call to rink security at five this morning saying she thought she saw someone lurking in the stands." A very rough looking Daniel Espinoza made his way to join the group. Lucifer noticed his present appearance and took two steps to the left.

"Dan, why aren't you in bed?" Decker followed her partner's lead, but sounded concerned.

Her ex stared blankly, like it was obvious, "There's a case. Anyway, no one was on duty because she was in for private ice time. Security desk isn't manned until six."

"Okay, definitely see what all you can get from that camcorder. There's gotta be something. Or at least it'll tell us whose it is. Any signs of a struggle? I don't know, something to show she _didn't_ do this to herself?"

Ella sighed, "Honestly? To me it still looks like a suicide. There's no bruising around the wrists to make me think someone held them out to slice or nothing on her fingertips to look like she was trying to free herself of whoever's grip. I gotta tell ya, at the moment I'm a little stumped."

"Any security footage?"

Dan shook his head, "They don't even have security cameras in here, they're so uptight about their policy. Afraid of getting hacked."

Lucifer had since wandered off, sticking carefully to the mats until safely off the ice. A blue shimmer caught his eye from the top row of the stands. "Hey!" he called, right before it disappeared up a ladder. He took off after it, taking the steps two at a time.

Chloe spun around to watch what was happening. By the time her partner got to the press box above the stands, a door slammed shut and three other officers ran out the other entrance to catch whoever it was trying to make their escape. "Detective! I think I found something!"

"Don't touch it, we'll be right there!" Ella got up and grabbed her camera.

"It's long weird rubbery things!" he called back.

The scientist nudged her friend as they made their way to Lucifer, "Haven't had to use anything by that description for a while, huh Decker?" The woman in question sighed and shook her head, though a grin did play at the corner of her mouth.

* * *

Not long later, Lucifer, Chloe, and Dan were all in the interrogation room back at the precinct with a tiny blonde in a skyblue sweatsuit sitting across the table. It was going nowhere.

"You gonna tell us why you were in the press box when that rink was closed? Or why you were so interested in Chelsea's blade guards? What about the key we found up there to the maintenance room? That's where they sharpen skates, isn't it?" Chloe was a tad more intense than usual. Lucifer crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap to conceal what it was doing to him, though Dan sniffling in the corner was making it easier to control.

"What are you talking about?" The girl smacked her gum and twirled at her hair, almost _trying_ to be as annoying as possible. "I wasn't up there."

"Then why did my friend here see you run out the door?" she motioned to Lucifer and gave him a look.

He picked up what she was saying and focused his attention on her beady little green eyes, "Tell me, Amber. What is it that you want? What do you truly desire above all else?"

Her face relaxed to the point of looking authentic instead of mousy, "I want a milkshake. And a cheeseburger. And curly fries with ranch dressing." She looked as though she was going to start drooling. Lucifer pursed his lips, trying to keep from laughing.

"So is that why you were in the rink? To see that your biggest competition was actually gone so you could have a real meal for a change?"

At the mention of food, Amber's eyes grew misty, the valley girl front stripped. "I didn't have anything to do with Chelsea dying, okay? I heard there were cops searching the whole rink and I panicked thinking that you'd find my stash in the press box. I figured that if it was found, my whole career would be down the toilet, so I tried to get it before you'd be able to trace it back to me with...what? Finger prints or whatever?"

"Oooh," Lucifer's interest was peaked, "what kind of stash are we talking here? Cocaine? Heroine?"

"Lipozene." Amber sighed.

Lucifer looked a tad disappointed. Chloe cocked her head at him, eyes wide, but looked at Amber before she could snap at him, "Lipozene? The pills from the cheap daytime TV weight loss commercials?"

She nodded, "It's against club rules to take diet pills, but there was a rumor going around last year that someone had gotten ahold of it before Sectionals and they couldn't trace it in the pee test you have to take to qualify." The girl leaned forward on the table and spoke softly, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat nothing but celery and carrots for days on end and still be told you're too fat to make your triple as perfect as Chelsea's?"

A lump formed in the detective's throat. She nodded, "Kind of, yeah."

Lucifer noticed the huskyness to her voice and raised an eyebrow, taking over for her so she could collect herself. "Where were you between five and six this morning, Amber?"

"Ballet class at _Madame Blanche_ in West Hollywood. Kelsie Reese was the instructor this morning."

"Ice skating doesn't take up enough of your time?"

She nodded and shrugged, "Ballet is a club requirement. As is a personal trainer and a nutritionist."

The detective's phone started ringing and snapped her out of her emotions, "I'm sorry, I have to take this. We'll check out your alibi, but you're free to go. Just don't leave the state. Thanks for answering our questions, Amber." She got up and headed out the door, Dan sneezing behind her. Lucifer was taking his own sweet time, rehashing Chloe's sudden change in mood when he heard, "She brought _what_ to show and tell?!"

With that, he scurried off to meet up with the detective at her desk and put a gentle, supportive hand on her back, "Did the spawn regail the class with another tale of Dan's special water balloons she found under his bed, courtesy of a nice Trojan man?"

Dan's head rolled back, "Thanks Lucifer, she might have forgotten about that."

"Anytime, Daniel!"

"Furry. Black. Handcuffs," she said through her teeth, her skin growing redder by the heartbeat.

"Black? Then those aren't mine! Red's more my color, remember?"

Dan puffed his cheeks and stammered awkwardly, "I'm gonna go do the...go to...over here."

"Lucifer, I thought you said all of that stuff was locked up somewhere?"

He grinned, bending over to plant a kiss on her neck, whispering, "It is, I don't lie. And I plan to show you where I keep that stuff as soon as you'll let me."

"Lucifer!"

"Chloe, she was staying in Maze's room. It's entirely possible that the little sex demon forgot a toy in the closet or something." The mother groaned and grabbed her keys, heading for the door. "Can I come? Can I come?"

After twenty minutes of stop and go traffic in a somewhat awkward silence, Lucifer couldn't take the detective's look of tense gloom anymore, "Look, Chloe I'm sorry. I should have checked Maze's old room after she left. But I assure you, those aren't mine."

She shook her head, "It's not that. I know they're not. You always tell me you don't lie to me and so far I haven't had a reason not to trust you. I'm just begging you, please don't run off to Vegas now."

He laughed, though the jab did hurt, "Never." Reaching over, he squeezed her hand, "What happened back there? With little Miss Lipozene? I realize every crime scene breaks your heart, but this one seems maybe a bit...close?" She shook her head again. "Detective?" He couldn't resist and tried to do his trick on her.

"That's never going to work on me, Lucifer." She smiled a little sadly, "But since you're being so sweet and holding my hand," Chloe looked down at their hands, a little puzzled and back at the road, having to hit the break yet again. "There's a lot of things I try to forget about _Hot Tub High School_ , and it seems so...miniscule and stupid compared to losing my dad before the premier, but…aside from that, the hardest thing was being 5'6", 115 pounds and being shipped off to fat camp to lose twenty more so I'd be ready for all the bikini scenes."

"They wanted you to weigh 95 pounds?" he sounded disgusted.

"Yep," she sighed, "but even that's overweight for Hollywood. Hell, now I'm considered downright obese out here." She had to let go of the man's hand to wipe the tears suddenly rolling down her cheeks. "I could never get under 102. I felt so worthless and was terrified they'd fire me. It was hell…Well, you know what I mean."

Lucifer grabbed her hand again and ran a comforting thumb over her knuckles, "I do. But, you are beautiful, Detective, and don't ever let yourself think any different."

She smiled and choked out a laugh, "I'm sorry Lucifer, I don't know why I'm so emotional lately. But this is why I don't let Trixie start figure skating lessons, no matter how long she's begged for them. I don't want her to end up like Amber…or Chelsea."

As they pulled into a parking spot at Trixie's elementary school, Lucifer got out and opened Chloe's door. "Come here," he said, opening his arms for her, bringing her into a tight embrace and kissing the top of her head, "You're a good mum."

"Even though I don't give her everything she wants?" she mumbled against his chest, her amusement not covering up how touched she was.

He pulled away and pushed a piece of her blond hair, glowing in the sunlight behind her ear, "Yes. Even so. Now go get your child's kinky handcuffs so I can use them on you after work tonight."

"Goddammit, Lucifer," she laughed, rolling her eyes and heading into the school.

"Nope, I think he might actually have fun with it if he weren't such a prude!" he called after her, climbing back into the car.


	3. It's Like Snapchat

_Hello all! Thank you so much for all the follows and favorites! I cannot tell you how awesome that makes me feel._

 _Without further ado, here's Chapter 3! (You've been waiting a while, so this one's a bit longer)_

Chapter 3

"Would you get off that thing?" Lucifer stood at the sink with a big fluffy white towel hung low around his hips, barely high enough to keep him decent. He was currently foaming at the mouth with a surprisingly simple toothbrush in hand.

Chloe scurried off the scale in the corner and pulled her robe off to step into the already steamy shower, "I was just curious, what's it to you?"

"That's the third time I've caught you on that thing since we started this case and it's only been a week." He spit out the toothpaste and took off the towel to join his partner already soaping up, "Should I be worried about what's going on up here?" he asked, kissing her temple under the shower head and grabbing the pouf from her hands. "Because this," he started running it down her back and around to trace each breast, his other hand close behind and not as gentle, "is just magnificent."

She flinched away, feeling a little sore. "Lucifer, we have to be to work in an hour."

"Believe it or not, I _can_ make it quick, Detective," he pleaded, kissing her neck and going lower with the pouf.

"Not this morning, okay? I'm just not feeling that great again."

Lucifer backed off, but grabbed the shampoo and started to lather the detective's hair, knowing she wouldn't argue with the head massage and giving him a great excuse to play with the sandy blonde waves. "Still? Maybe it's time to go to a doctor?"

She shrugged, relaxing into his touch, "I don't know. It's a $30 copay and it has to be almost through my system. Dan's been fine for the last few days."

"$30? You're not going to the doctor because it would cost you $30?" he felt a little dumbfounded, taking the side shower head down to rinse her hair. He could practically see her roll her eyes at him though her back was turned.

"I'm a single mom, Lucifer. Any extra money goes to stuff for Trixie."

"She _could_ contribute, you know," he teased. "But it's not like you're completely single, per se. I mean, you're practically living with one of the biggest nightclub owners in Los Angeles. I think I could contribute at least a smidge." Chloe froze and Lucifer started to panic, thinking he'd said the wrong thing. He put the shower head back and rubbed her shoulders, "Did I say something wrong? I realize it's practically my specialty with you, but please tell me."

She was finally able to turn around and put her arms up around his neck, carefully standing on tiptoes to kiss him. "No. I've just been so afraid to put a label on this. I didn't want to scare you off." Her eyes grew misty, noticeable even under the rainfall showerhead.

He chuckled, leaning his forehead to hers, "You're in the shower with the ruler of Hell and _you're_ going to scare _me_ off?"

"Only if that scale keeps going up, right?"

Knowing she was only joking, he squeezed her as tightly to him as possible and grinded his hips against her belly, "Last chance for some quick cardio."

"Seems like my trainer's all ready for me." Chloe sighed in defeat and reached back up to restart what they'd paused. "Please don't let me fall."

"Never, Detective."

* * *

"Say hello, Detective!" Lucifer turned his phone to her from the passenger seat.

She waved, "Hi Maze. How's Iowa?"

Lucifer snorted, "Hell, I presume?"

"I'm not sure why I'm trying to catch the bastard. He gets the same punishment just from being in this pathetic state of absolute nothingness that he would being in solitary." She rolled her eyes and looked behind her to a large white expanse of that same nothing, "And it's snowing. Again."

"Suppose you could bring some of that back for Trixie?" Chloe smirked, "She's worried you won't be back in time for Christmas."

"Depends on how fast I can find this guy. Shouldn't be a problem. Not like there's anything he can hide behind...unless it's a snowbank." The demon raised an eyebrow, "You're really doing _Christmas_ , Lucifer?"

He angled the phone back onto himself to try and hide his look of irritation from the driver, "Her spawn insists, I'm afraid."

"And the big tough devil just can't say no to my kid," the proud mom grinned at Lucifer's expression, somewhere between resentful agreement and exasperation. "Oh shit, sorry…" She swerved to the side of the street, threw open the door, and barely had time to put the car in park before losing the breakfast burrito she'd just split with the man on the phone.

"Eww, what _is_ that, Decker?" Maze sounded disgusted and impressed, "Lucifer, turn me to her. I wanna see!"

"I'll call you back later, Maze. Good luck in the arctic." He hung up and got out of the car, narrowly avoiding a skateboarder in the residential neighborhood. Reaching around what could be the line of fire again, he unbuckled her seat belt and though he was a bit cringy and gagged himself, rubbed her back until she was done heaving.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She protested shakily as he carefully pulled her out of the car.

"You're not," he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pack of gum, handing it to her as he guided her to his vacated seat, "and you're not driving."

"We are _not_ going home, Lucifer. I'm fine."

"If you're fine, you wouldn't be losing your lunch every other day." He got in the driver's seat and gave her one of his most devilish grins, "Promise me you'll make an appointment today and we'll go to work. A deal with the devil if you like."

"Fine." Chloe rolled her eyes and dug a piece of gum out of the package, "Does that look really work on every woman but me?"

"You agreed did you not?"

"Only to shut you up. Now let's go. You already made me late for work."

"Ah yes. But I'm not the one that begged for seconds."

"Drive."

* * *

The detective shook her head, "I still don't believe it was suicide. I know the choreography stealing thing came up as a dead end, but let's at least review the rest of it and go over the suspects again."

Ella pulled a face that very clearly stated she disagreed, but didn't want to disagree, "Technically, they're not suspects. Not entirely anyway. _But_ the first of our...let's call them 'persons of interest' is the husband, Mitch Adamson, 32." The chipper brunette pointed to his picture on the board, just under Chelsea's. "He's a mortgage officer at Sunny Hills Community Bank, down the street from the rink."

Lucifer, sitting on a stool next to Chloe started snoring until she elbowed him in the ribs. "Sunny Hills Community Bank? Would you actually trust a business with the words 'Sunny Hills' in the title to do more than, I dunno, store Great Aunt Petunia for safekeeping until she makes the journey to the Silver City?"

"The ghost town by Reno?" Dan piped in, sitting on the other side of his ex wife.

Chloe and Ella both smirked. Lucifer scoffed, "Heaven you nitwit."

"Duh. Ella?"

"Right. So nursing home sounding bank aside, that's pretty much the extent of Mitch's exciting life. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in business and started there as a teller and worked his way up. No previous records, average family background, according to account records, one of his only automatic withdrawals aside from rent, electricity, and internet is a membership to the gym that just so happens to be attached to the iceplex."

"Are you honestly expecting me to believe that this boring banker sod would attract a beautiful figure skater roughly 8 years his junior because he pranced on an elliptical three nights a week?" Lucifer gave the scientist a skeptical eyebrow raise.

"Hey," Chloe snapped, "we are _not_ going back to this 'a tophat can't fall for a shoe' bullshit again, are we?"

It was Dan's turn to smirk, "She got ya there, man."

Lucifer went quiet so, he thought, only Chloe could hear, "You're not exactly a shoe, Detective."

"Awww!" Ella looked as though she'd just found a new litter of puppies.

Chloe gave her the friendliest stirn 'go on' look she could muster.

"Right, so it turns out the membership to the Lynwood Iceplex's gym only started a couple months ago and he and Chelsea had been together, or at least Wobble Official, for three years. I really um...don't think that's relevant to be completely honest. Chloe, I'm sorry. I'm grasping at straws here."

"What about the maintenance guy? The keys that were found in the press box with her blade guards had his prints all over them."

"True. And her blades were incorrectly sharpened to a point which was probably done in the shop that those keys go to," Dan and Ella swapped spots and he took over the rundown. "Chad Ellingson, also 32 has been the head maintenance guy at the arena since shortly after graduating from UCLA as well. As it turns out, he and Mitch were college buddies and according to their social media profiles, they're still pretty close."

"Oh hold on," Lucifer shook his head. "Are you saying UCLA has a program for Zamboni driving and blade sharpening?"

Dan chuckled, "According to their records, he graduated with a degree in English."

"Ah."

"Anyway, as far as we can tell, he's clean. He has a rock solid alibi with video footage of him at the donut shop down the street before Chelsea called security and after her body was found. He just wasn't at the rink yet and doesn't know how his keys got up there."

"And," Ella interjected, "it's worth mentioning that the blade guards didn't have his prints on them. Just the keys, which...they're his keys so…"

"I still want to bring him in for a second interview. The team doctor kept insisting that he hated Chelsea for being such a brat, accusing him of not knowing how to do his job. Maybe he accidentally sharpened her blades wrong and she retaliated?"

Dan sighed, "Chloe, he's worked at the rink for years. I don't think he'd still have a job if he didn't know how to sharpen blades."

"I'm still calling him in again." She stood up to swap places with Dan and pointed to the doctor's picture, "Judy May, also 32 did her pre-med at UCLA and was also friends with those two through college. She was tagged in a group picture with Chelsea, Mitch, and Chad four months ago, so we know they're all three still connected to both the victim and the rink. Judy was hired to be the team doctor six months ago."

"How close of a friend group can it be if Judy says Chad hates Chelsea?" Ella grinned, "Try saying that three times fast."

Neither Dan nor Lucifer could resist and the three failed into a fit of laughter, much to Chloe's aggravation, "Guys! What the hell? A 24 year old girl is _dead_. All three of these 'persons of interest' said that she kept saying that this was her year and that it was now or never. A girl that says that isn't just going to kill herself before competition starts," she started turning red and her voice cracked. "So either show a little respect and help me find who did this to her, or shut up and let me work."

She stormed off out of the lab, Lucifer close behind. "Detective, come on… We didn't mean anything like that." Without realizing it, he followed her into the ladies' room that was thankfully vacant except for them.

"Lucifer, get out."

He was a bit taken aback by the anger in her eyes, but stayed put as she splashed water on her face. "Are you okay, Chloe? _Actually_ okay?" he asked, eyes soft as he handed her a paper towel.

"I'm fine," she said, a little shortly, though admittedly calmed down by his eyes. "I just… you know I have these gut feelings. And my gut is telling me that no matter what the evidence says, this girl did not kill herself."

"And I believe you, Detective. But I've dealt with those that decide to off themselves. They don't just end it all before a big sure thing unless they know for a fact it won't go as planned. Even then they almost all say the same thing about a permanent solution for a temporary problem and wish they'd worked it out instead of acting on the impulse."

"Wait, what was that?"

"You mean the permanent, temporary montra from the bottom shelf self help books?"

"No before that…"

"I can practically _see_ the hamster on the wheel up there, Chloe. What is it?"

"There has to be more on that camcorder that we're not seeing." She reached up and brought him down enough to plant a kiss on his lips.

Wrapping his arms around her, Lucifer was just nudging his tongue to gain entrance into her lips when the door to the bathroom opened and Ella gasped. "Oh my gosh! Sorry! Dude in the dudette room, oh man. My bad! I'll tell you later!"

The two broke it off, looking a tad disheveled, "Wait!" Chloe called after her. Ella heard before the door shut all the way and popped her head back in, though her eyes were closed. "What was it?"

"Chelsea's full tox screens and the report from her autopsy finally came back from the morgue. There's something kind of interesting on it that I think you'll want to see."

* * *

"What would you like to do first here, Judy? Do you want to explain to us why you lied about Chad's opinion on Chelsea or why you prescribed such a high dose of Natalizumab to someone with no medical history of MS?"

Lucifer hid the grin threatening to spread on his face by scratching his upper lip. At least the detective's anger was no longer directed at him after their interview with the maintenance guy earlier that afternoon.

Now the woman that occupied the chair opposite them wore a black blazer, a tight white button down, and enough cleavage to distract a monk. Chloe noticed this too and had turned her gaze to her partner several times in the interview, feeling more than a little self conscious. This woman was LA perfect. Big boobs, tiny everywhere else, perfectly straight blond hair, perfect skin, perfect teeth. She was beautiful and confident and the detective hadn't once caught the devil's line of sight go any farther south than her chin.

' _Pull yourself together, Decker. How many times has he promised you can trust him?_ ' She was getting nowhere with the doctor, but her own thoughts were getting the best of her. "Answer me!"

"Without my lawyer present?"

"So you have something to hide then?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow, cocking his head ever so slightly, "Sorry, it just seems like whenever someone doesn't want to talk without their lawyer present it's because they are in fact guilty and need someone to say they don't have to talk. Feeling guilty about something, are we?"

Judy rolled her eyes, "Look, what I did was a little morally questionable for my profession, but there's a perfectly good reason I gave her that prescription. I diagnosed Chelsea with Multiple Sclerosis a year ago, before I started my position as the team doctor. It was actually a part of why I took the job in the first place, but the extra money from national sponsors doesn't hurt either. She didn't want the news going public, but most of all she didn't want news getting out to her husband or his best friend."

"Your friends from uni," the man added. "So you took the job so you could cook the books as it were."

"She was still skating?" Chloe looked perplexed, "How?"

Dr. May shook her head as if an explanation was tiresome, "MS progresses over a period of time. It can take longer in certain patients to really become the debilitating disease you're thinking of. Chelsea was in the early stages and that Natalizumab was working to slow it down."

"So when you said she was always saying this was her year and it was now or never, you knew that it really was now or never. Is there some reason you didn't mention this the last time you were here?"

"Chelsea was 24 years old. Even without MS 24 is almost geriatric in this sport. The meds looked like they were working, but maybe Chelsea knew something the tests weren't showing and that her dreams of making any sort of impact on her sport weren't going to happen. Maybe she killed herself so Mitch didn't have to see what she'd become."

"No no, that doesn't make sense." Lucifer sat forward in his chair, "If Mitch and Chelsie were as in love as everyone we've talked to insists, she would have known he'd help her any way he could. You said it yourself, MS takes time to progress. Why would she take away the time they have left together?"

Chloe looked over at her partner, shock written all over her face. "Who are you?"

"What?" his expression matched hers.

"That doesn't explain why you practically tried to frame Chad last time we talked. You kept saying he hated her. Thought she was a brat. Didn't know how to do his job. The list goes on. What does Chad have to do with her killing herself if what you think is true?"

"Because she _was_ a brat." Judy sneared, "We talked about it when Mitch wasn't around."

"You see, that's funny because Chad was telling us earlier that she was completely different than the other girls on your team. Turns out, she was quite the inspiration with all of her volunteer work. Evidently, with her parents having died when she was so young, she spent a lot of time in soup kitchens and homeless shelters. She just wanted to pay it forward since she lucked out and actually found a great family through the foster system."

Judy stared straight ahead at the detective, "Yes. Okay. She was lovely. Are we done here yet? I haven't been in an appointment after five since my intern year. Can I go?"

"In a minute. Where were you the morning of December 10th between five and six a.m.?"

"Like I told you the first time, I was at home. In bed. I'm not crazy enough to be up before seven when I make this much money."

The millionaire in the room chuckled, nodding. Chloe ignored him, "And you can prove that?"

"There's cameras all over my building's underground parking, honey. You won't see my Maserati pulling out until after 9 most days. Feel free to watch the footage. Lots of cars too expensive for a cop to see too much of up close."

"Stay in the state and be available for further questions," the detective grabbed the file and left the room, Lucifer following close behind.

"Joke's on her. Feel like taking the Lamborghini out for a spin later, Detective?" he caught up to her with his long legs and slipped a hand down around her bum.

It didn't stay there long, "Lucifer, we're at work." She paused, "Wait, you have a Lamborghini?"

"There's one stashed somewhere at Lux, sure. Thought your Mustang might get lonely. Not the point. Anyway, now that it's just past five, can we call it the weekend and head home?" He grinned, looked around to see if anyone was watching, and kissed her neck, "I have an idea as to what can take your mind off things for a while."

She couldn't help it and smiled, "Why are you being so sweet today? This isn't like you. I mean, it is, but it's still kinda...are you okay?"

"Of course Detective," his voice went a little high, but his eyes were so playful and his overall expression so cheeky, she didn't know what to think.

"Alright, well I want to go see if Ella found anything on the camcorder first, and then we can-"

"Not on the camcorder, no." Ella, as always, appeared out of nowhere. "Let me plug this ancient thing in to the TV back here quick to show you what we _did_ find though." She moved the group over to a cluster of chairs by the TV on the wall and Dan joined in. "So when we first tried to look through the hard drive, there was nothing. Literally zip, which I thought was kind of strange considering the battery was dead when we found it so it had to be running, right? Well way back when I was in middle school, I went to a concert at Ford Field back in Detroit. I think it was like...OutKast and Black Eyed Peas and...someone else…"

Her audience stared at her blankly, "Anyway," Dan guided her back to the train of the thought.

"Right, anywho! So after the show was all done, I'm heading out the main doors with my friends and I drop my little old digital camera on the concrete. I pick it up without getting trampled, but my memory card is absolutely gonezo. So we stick around until the crowd clears thinking maybe we'll find it, but it's nowhere to be seen in the area I dropped it. But one of the merch guys for OutKast heard what we were looking for and brings the darn thing over to me. It managed to zip all the way from the entryway to the merch booth without getting stepped on or swyped. About ten yards, easily."

"Fascinating," Lucifer sent a questioning look to Dan.

"Ella?" Chloe prodded.

"Right, sorry! So I figured maybe that's what happened with this bad boy. I sent a couple rookies to the rink to search _literally_ everywhere and we got it!" She held up the small blue piece of plastic before popping it in. "And now for our feature presentation," she hit play and they all watched the victim practicing her routine from the vantage point of the side rail.

"Looks a little rough…" Dan cringed as she fell from an attempted double toe loop.

Lucifer's brow furrowed, "Okay normally I would find this hilarious, but it's a bit sad isn't it? Why is she even filming it if she knows how tremendously bad it is?"

"Wait, watch." Ella turned up the volume in time for one last stumble before Chelsea's eyes went wide and she made a mad dash to the camera before it was knocked off.

"Ella, can you rewind that to just before her last fall?" the detective moved closer to the speaker on the TV. "Turn it up some more?"

Lucifer and Dan watched her as she strained to listen, waiting until the camera fell again to ask, "What is it?"

"Someone said, 'Why are you even still trying?' Ella, can you isolate it to just the background noise and turn it up as loud as you can?"

"It'll probably take the weekend, but you got it boss!" The bubbly scientist smiled and saluted, unplugging the camera and heading back to her lab.

"Right!" Lucifer stood up and put a hand on Chloe's lower back, "Shall we commence the weekend?"

Dan got up as well and rubbed his neck awkwardly, "I'm gonna go pick Trixie up. I'll see you Sunday? Your place or Lux?"

She blushed a little, "Probably Lux."

* * *

"Chloe, I do believe you are a bit drunk," Lucifer actually giggled, holding his arm out for her to grab onto as she stepped out of the Corvette.

"I'm not drunk, you jerk. We only had one bottle of wine at the restaurant," she laughed, leaning on him as they walked toward the elevator.

He didn't mind at all. She was warm and weighed just enough to apply a comforting pressure to his side. Wherever they touched seemed to give him an almost electric buzz that still hadn't gone away after the almost two and a half months they'd spent together. He pulled his arm out from hers and put it around her shoulders, grabbing her now free hand with his, "You had the bottle of wine, Detective. I was drinking whiskey all night."

"And you drove? I'm a cop! I should arrest you!"

"Celestial metabolism, remember?" When the elevator doors closed, she snuggled into his chest. He put his chin on the top of her head and looked at the reflection in the golden mirrors. "Now, tell it to me straight and be completely honest, okay?"

She pushed away and looked up at him, amused, "What?"

"Should I feel like I'm taking advantage of you if as soon as these doors open to the penthouse, I carry you to bed and have my way with you?"

"Only if you don't like this," Chloe reached behind her and hit the stop button, undoing his pants and kneeling down in front of him before he could figure out what she was doing.

"Why Detective, you dirty little minx." His grin spread ear to ear as her warm fingers pulled down his black boxers enough to free his already hardening cock. Her touch alone felt electric, but her kisses on his thighs and scrotum had him gripping the railing behind him. It hadn't been the first time she'd done this to him, but it was the first time she'd taken all of the control and somehow their first time in the elevator. Lightning bolts ran down his spine as she kissed the head before taking it all in. His head lulled back and his knees went weak, twisting his fingers in the hair she'd let down for their date.

After a few minutes of pure ecstasy, he somehow reached for the button to restart the elevator, but couldn't wait any longer. He gently pulled back and guided her up, spinning them around and pinning her to the wall he'd just vacated. In one swift motion, he lifted her leg, moved her short skirt, and thrusted into her so hard that she dug her teeth into his shoulder, only encouraging him to go faster and harder until the doors opened to his living room.

He pulled out just as roughly, leaving Chloe a quivering mess. Gathering her in his arms, he made up for it by kissing her the four steps it took him to get to the bedroom, and stood her back up at the foot of the bed. Within seconds, all of their clothes and shoes were torn off, Lucifer about to push her onto the bed. "No no," Chloe licked her lips, a devilish grin on her own face. He was going to lose control already if she wasn't careful. She put her hands on his chest and shoved him down to the bed, crawling on top and easing herself back down his sizable shaft. He reached up, rolling her nipples in his thumbs and fingers, enjoying the view.

He'd never in his millenia long life been as intoxicated as he was now by the sounds she was making. He needed more. He grabbed her hands on his chest and kissed them as he pulled her down, wrapping his arms tight around her back, her hair forming a curtain around their faces. "Oh Chloe," he moaned, completely breathless as he started thrusting up into her as fast as he could.

"Lucif-" she couldn't finish her words. She was panting and breathless, her cheek against his. He just kept going, both of them grunting until her back arched and she just couldn't help the screams that escaped her lips as she rode out the orgasm. He wasn't too far behind her, gripping a wad of her hair in his big hands and slowing down, a few last thrusts lingering as he shuddered through his release.

"Wow," Chloe panted, still on top of him, no other words coming to mind.

"Happy 75, Chlo." He was just as breathless, amazingly. He shifted them so they were both laying on their sides, cuddled up close together in the dark, even if they were both a bit sweaty. He ran his fingernails up and down her back, causing goosebumps to spread down her entire body.

She looked deliriously happy, but confused, "75?"

"Well, that was number 75 for us," he moved the hair from her face and caressed her cheek.

"You kept track of how many times we've had sex?" She wanted to be grossed out, but she couldn't. She laughed and shook her head, "Again, Lucifer Morningstar, who are you?"

"Not how many times we've had sex. It's past midnight which means it's how many days we've had sex in a row. Normally it's what? Two, three times in a day? Course there was that day last month where you were particularly horny. We might have set a world record that afternoon alone. I should call Guinness."

The detective rolled her eyes, "Well it couldn't have been _every_ day. I mean, no offense, but you don't seem like the kind of guy that's okay with um...well you know. About once a month. For a few days at least there wasn't any sex in there, right?"

"No," he shook his head a confused smile playing on his lips, "no because that'd break the streak. It's like Snapchat that way, see."

"Right, right. Okay. I get it. Huh…" her heart started pounding.

Lucifer noticed her change in mood, "Detective, are you okay?"

She tried to snap out of it. It just flat out couldn't be. He'd said it was impossible and she trusted him with her life. It had to be something else. "I'm okay." she smiled back at him and kissed him, but rolled over to be the little spoon. Within minutes, Mr. 'I-Can-Go-All-Night's' breathing slowed down and his grip loosened as he fell fast asleep.

Chloe however was not going to be sleeping any time soon. She kept stirring, a million thoughts running through her head. She'd been throwing up, her boobs were sore and it almost killed her when Lucifer was playing with them earlier. She'd been breaking out, the scale kept going up, and her emotions were all over the board lately. And now come to find out she was roughly two and a half months late. "There's no way though…" She didn't mean to say it out loud and was startled when Lucifer unfurled a wing to cover her up. It was such a sweet gesture, but she suddenly felt claustrophobic.

"There's no way for what?" he said, almost child-like in his sleep.

"Shh, go back to sleep," she squeezed his arm, unsure if his wing had the same feeling as the rest of his body when it came to sneaking out of the bed.

* * *

Lucifer woke up from a very deep sleep to a sharp pain at his temple, "What the-"

"Oh good, you're up!" Chloe stood at the side of the bed, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Chloe, what's going on? You look like you haven't slept." He slowly tucked his wing back in and let his eyes adjust to the dim light coming in from the windows, "What's this?" He fumbled around the bed for what had woken him up, finding a strange blue and white stick.

"That, you fucking bastard, is proof that you do, in fact, lie to me." She held up another of the sticks in her hand and waved it around furiously, "Don't you ever expect me to trust you again. You said this wouldn't happen, yet here I am two months late, morning sickness, sore boobs, and a blue stick. How could you do this to me?" She was turning red again, shaking, and screaming through her teeth, her eyes were filled to the brim with yet unshed tears, "You fucking lied to me, Lucifer. After all this time saying you never would."

Lucifer fumbled to get up and throw on the pair of pants at the foot of the bed, "Chloe, I haven't. What the hell is going on? Chloe!" His heart was pounding and a lump had formed in his throat. He couldn't breathe and the woman he cared so much for was stepping onto the elevator, giving him a look that should have been able to kill. His heart felt like it still could. "Chloe?!"

"Go back to Hell, Lucifer."

And with that, the elevator doors shut and she was gone. He was still confused, and dare he say it, heart broken. He fell to his knees, stick still in hand. "Chlo?" he called again, knowing it was useless. Feeling completely lost, he ran a hand through his hair and inspected the small plastic weapon she'd chosen. "P...pre," he rubbed his eyes. He couldn't be seeing it right, "Pregnant?" He sat in front of the elevator, frozen. "Detective?"

 _Hoooooo, sorry! That was a long one. (That's what she said). Anywho, feel free to comment. Lemme know what you think! Again, sorry about the wait, but I'm hoping chapters will be more consistent now. :)_

 _Thanks for reading!_


	4. Horn Nubbins

_Hello all! I didn't want to make you lovely people wait, so here is another very long chapter. I hope you enjoy it!_

 _Also, I know one part of this verges on the edge of controversial, but I promise I do not mean to nor do I want to get political. Just read. ;)_

Chapter 4

Linda Martin woke up without an alarm for the first time in weeks. Her bright white duvet cradled her in the most luxurious cloud of heaven, made complete by the wafting scent of coffee coming from the kitchen. She reached over to the side table and grabbed her glasses before stretching every muscle she could, a long soft moan of an exhale escaping her smiling lips.

Saturday. Finally. As much as she loved her patients, her most tedious one being her favorite, she reveled in the short 48 hours that were her own. This weekend, all 48 were accounted for. With nothing.

After a solid ten minutes of staring out the window at the passing rain clouds, she finally got up and poured herself a cup of coffee, grabbed the paper off her welcome mat, and opened up the crossword at her tiny bistro table.

"One across: Another name for the Prince of Darkness, makes an appearance in a song by royalty." She sighed, "So that's a no on escaping Lucifer for the day." 'B-E-E-L-Z,' she started writing, but the Z's tail dragged across the bottom of the page when someone started pounding on her door. Trying to catch her breath, she threw a hoody over her nightgown and ran her fingers through her hair to tame it down a bit. The pounding continued, "Just a second!"

"Doctor, please?" the familiar voice pleaded, sounding much more vulnerable than usual.

"He's like Beetlejuice. I said his name too many times," she sighed, yanking open her door. "Lucifer, what in God's name-" She froze, taking in his current state. The king of Hell stood on her front step in his silky blue bathrobe, sweat pants, and slippers. His hair went every which way, much curlier than she'd ever seen it, and his eyes looked suspiciously red, though not in the way she'd expect from the Devil.

He looked totally and completely defeated, his tone reflecting as much, sounding hoarse and on the verge of tears, "None of him today, Doctor. Please."

"I'm sorry. Get in here," she gently pulled him into the apartment, actually having to guide him over to the couch in her living room. "What's going on?"

"She's…" he snarled, and Linda expected to see the usual flash of red in his eyes, but the expression faded fast into the same welling tears she'd only seen the once before.

"Lucifer, where's Chloe? Is she okay?"

"I think she's cheating on me."

"What?" That was a shock, "I really don't think so. You know she and I talk, right?"

He rubbed his thighs, frustrated that he couldn't speak without his voice cracking. He got up and started pacing around the small living room, "It's the only thing that makes sense. I can't...can't do what she says I did." Digging out his flask from the robe pocket, he took a swig. And another. And one more.

"Okay, stop. Time out." Linda stood up and grabbed his arm, "Lucifer, talk to me. What happened?" He went to take one more drink, but she grabbed the flask. He sighed and fumbled in his pocket once more, bringing out the test and holding it to her with a shaking hand. "Ohmygod!" It came out before she could censor herself. "I mean…wow. That's a...she's…" She took the stick and cleared her throat, but it still came out in a croak, "She's pregnant?"

"Evidently, yes. But I'm immortal, Doctor. It can't...it can't be mine. Which means…" he started pacing again, having grabbed his flask back from the shocked therapist and draining it in one last gulp. "75 days, Doctor. I've never counted anything less than centuries, but I had 75 days there of being truly...truly…" he waved around his flask like it would ease the pain of releasing that one final word.

"Happy?" She finished, a little skittish on how to handle the current situation. "Look, I need to talk to you as a friend now, Lucifer because I'm going to break like twenty patient therapist confidentiality rules, but I can tell you that Chloe is not cheating on you."

There were the red eyes she'd expected earlier, "Really? Then what's this?" He ripped the test out of her hand and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself from going full devil face. "How many of those 75 days were spent with someone other than me?" He stuffed the test back in his pocket with the empty flask and rubbed his palms hard into his eye sockets, trying to hide the tears rolling down his cheeks, "How could she?" he asked, barely above a whisper and effectively breaking Linda's heart.

The small blond carefully guided him back to the couch and sat him down, amazed at how almost fragile he seemed. Not just because he was the Devil showing emotion, but because he was normally so big and strong and confident. The man who now sat on her couch was a shaking, heartbroken mess trying to keep it together to save face. He seemed so much more human than usual.

She took his clammy hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, "Lucifer, Chloe is not cheating on you. You know far more than I do that she is so inherently good and cares so much for the heart you swear you don't have, that she would never ever do that." She hesitated, but continued, "As a friend, I need to tell you that I have to reassure her at least once a week that she's not dreaming, or that you won't run off with someone prettier or more exciting. She is so afraid of not being good enough for you that there is no way in hell she would put what you have at risk."

Linda had to look down at their hands, so cut by the heartwrenching look in the man's eyes as he shook his head, "I wouldn't do that, Doctor. I lo…" he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, breathing hard.

"You can say you love her, Lucifer."

"That doesn't change any of this!" he snapped, clenching his fists. "Maybe I need to repeat this again so you'll understand, Doctor. I, the Devil, a celestial being and immortal, could not have gotten Chloe Jane Decker, a human, pregnant."

"Isn't this the same Chloe Jane Decker that shot the Devil and made him bleed?" She asked, "Or how about the Chloe Jane Decker that was nearby so you were able to be knocked out and carted out to the desert?"

"Linda."

"Or wait, how about the Chloe Jane Decker that had to be close by so Maze and I could kill you to save her life? How does this not make sense to you, Lucifer? You don't bleed until she shoots you. You're vulnerable when she's around. You haven't been lasting as long in bed with her," she snapped her mouth shut, her eyes widening when she realized what she'd said.

He looked a bit mortified, though it took his mind off the main concern for a split second. "She told you about that?"

She gave him a half smile, "She's one of my best friends, she tells me almost everything and I tell her what's appropriate for me to say. But Lucifer, I know you don't know how she has this power over you, and I know you blame your dad, but what if she makes um...other fluids viable too?"

He took a deep breath, letting it all sink in. "She said she'd never trust me again."

"You didn't know this could happen. You...didn't take any precautions?"

"Did we?" he rubbed the scruff on his chin and shrugged, "It's never been necessary."

"You two need to talk this out. She needs to know you're going to be supportive and that you're not going anywhere." Her brow furrowed, realizing she wasn't exactly sure that was true. "She's...not going to be alone through this, right?"

He swallowed hard, feeling dazed and thoroughly overwhelmed. His heart was beating out of his chest and all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. "Right," he whispered.

"Good," she grabbed his hand again and squeezed, "because you two have been through so many awful things before you let your guards down to be together, and you've both been so happy these past couple months. A baby is a good thing. Scary yes, but good. This can't be what breaks you two apart."

"But this is a baby we're talking about, Doctor. And I'm the Devil."

She chuckled, "I'm well aware of who you are, Lucifer Morningstar."

* * *

Chloe had gone home to her apartment to shower, change, and try everything she could to look slightly more human than she felt. Now that she knew why she felt nauseous periodically throughout the day, it made her even more nauseated. With Trixie spending the weekend at her father's and Maze still in Iowa looking for her bounty, there wasn't much to take her mind off of her fuming. She ended up pacing back and forth from the kitchen to the living room enough times to feel like she was wearing a path in the hardwood floors.

Deciding enough was enough, she jumped in her car, having taken her LAPD supplied Dodge from Lux that morning instead of Lucifer's gifted Mustang, and went into work. "Ella, were you able to isolate that audio just yet?" She walked into the brunette's lab, but she must not have heard. She was still dancing and enjoying herself, much to the detective's annoyance. "Ella!" she tried to keep a halfway cheery expression on her face, but that was easier said than done with her world crumbling around her feet.

The scientist finally noticed and pulled out her earbuds, "Chloe! What are you doing here today? I thought you and Lucifer were having a nice weekend alone?" She asked, exaggerated wink included.

"Something came up," she shrugged, heart clenching in her chest. "Did you get the audio isolated yet?"

Ella beamed, "You know it! I mean it's still pretty muffled, but I was actually just going through files from the recordings of our interrogations with the um...not suspect suspects for a little audio police lineup. It should be ready in like...half hour?"

"Okay. Come get me when you're ready. I'm just gonna go over some notes at my desk."

"Sure!" She nodded, looking confused as her friend walked out the door. "Hey Chloe?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

She plastered on a smile as best she could, but her eyes didn't reflect it at all, "I'm fine Ella. Just let me know, okay?" And with that she headed back to her desk, plucking a peppermint candy cane off the precinct Christmas tree.

Twenty minutes, two and a half candy canes, and three files worth of crime scene photos later, she was interrupted by the exact person she didn't want to see. "Ooh, feeling festive, Detective?"

"Peppermint helps with the nausea," she whispered, not exactly able to look him in the eye. "What do you want, Lucifer? I'm busy."

Lucifer was taken aback by the ice in her voice, but tried to remain stoic. "I was wondering if we could maybe have a chat? About our little um...situation."

"Oh, you mean the little situation where you're a fucking liar?"

The accused looked around to see the weekend crew starting to stare, "Detective, can we perhaps go somewhere a bit more private?"

"No, Lucifer. We can't." She finally looked up at him, standing up to be at least a little more eye to eye with him. "Quite frankly, I really don't want to be in private with you anymore anyway, but right now I'm a little busy."

"Jeez, did the rabbit die?" Ella snuck up on the pair, a perplexed grin on her face. Chloe's showed more along the lines of pure horror and Lucifer gave a confused eyebrow raise. "The old pregnancy test from the 50's…? Does no one watch M*A*S*H?"

They tried not to, but Lucifer and Chloe shared a very awkward, very brief moment of eye contact that made the woman in question reach for her candy cane. "What is it, Ella?"

"Tough crowd," she mumbled, oblivious. "Those clips are ready for you to listen to. Lucifer, you want in?"

"No, he doesn't. Come on." Not waiting for the one running the show, Chloe made her way to the lab, anxious to be away from Lucifer. She didn't know how much longer she could control herself and didn't exactly want to blow up at him in front of the whole precinct.

Back at her desk, Lucifer's look of both anger and defeat returned, no matter how well he'd cleaned up from the morning's episode with Linda. He started toward the lab himself, but Ella put a hand on his arm, "First fight as an actual couple?" she asked, genuinely concerned. He looked at her hand and huffed. "Maybe just give her a little time to cool down. She's definitely in a mood today."

"I'm afraid that's my fault, Miss Lopez. I went to her place so we could talk, but when she wasn't there I knew she'd be here and now she doesn't want to listen to what I have to say. So if you don't mind," he moved her hand and started making his way to the lab again.

Ella ran in front of him, "No Lucifer. I know both of you and you probably need to cool down too. Anything said right now is just going to be rash and make things worse. Go home, watch some TV, have a drink. Just, give it a little time, okay?" Before he knew what was happening, she was already leading him up the stairs toward the exit.

"Miss Lopez, I really don't see this as necessary."

"I'm sorry, how many serious relationships have you been in?" When he looked like he was going to say something, but no words came out, she nodded, "Exactly. I gotchu, dude. We'll talk later, okay?"

Lucifer sighed, desperate to try anything, "Fine. But will you please try to get her to listen to reason. There's a…" he stopped himself, "there's a lot riding on this."

She nodded, "I know there is. It's just a fight, bro. It'll all be okay."

He gave a sad smile, "I honestly don't know if that's true."

* * *

"Hi Mom!" Trixie walked through the front door on Sunday night, Dan close behind with her backpack.

"Hey Monkey! How was your weekend?" Chloe hugged her daughter, relieved to finally have her to focus on again instead of sitting alone with her thoughts in the empty apartment.

"It was awesome! Dad bought me a chocolate cake as an early Christmas present and we cut down a tree and put it up in the living room. And instead of decorating it all slow like you like to do, we just threw a bunch of tinsel at it. It looks SO cool!"

Chloe looked at her ex and they both started laughing, "Dad still hasn't grown any patience for ornaments, I take it?"

He shook his head, "Nope, but we found a fun alternative, right Trix?" Handing her the pink backpack, he added, "Why don't you go put your stuff in your room so mom and I can talk for a second, okay?"

"Alright. I love you," she wrapped her arms around his waist and he returned the hug, messing up her hair.

"Love you too, kiddo." He smiled, watching her run over to her room. "Alright, Chlo, what's going on? I thought you'd be at Lux."

She shrugged, "It's nothing. We're just taking the weekend off."

He furrowed his brow, "You sure? Kinda sounds like there's more to it."

Chloe shook her head, finding it hard to maintain eye contact with anyone this weekend, "Everything's fine. I just wanted to be home tonight."

"Really? Cause I can beat the hell out of him if you need me to." He grinned, flexing his biceps through his white thermal shirt.

"I'll keep that in mind," she smiled, playfully rolling her eyes. It did sound tempting, not that she thought the man in front of her really stood a chance next to Lucifer. "Thank you, Dan. And thanks for dropping Trixie off for me."

"Anytime, Chlo. See you tomorrow?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm gonna need your opinion on that sound bite we have from the camcorder footage." He gave her a thumbs up and headed out the door.

"Bye Dad!" Trixie came out of her room, "If I pack my bag super quick, we can still watch one movie with Lucifer before I have to go to bed!" she beamed, blue sparkly duffle bag already in hand.

Her mother sighed, trying her damndest to look like everything was okay, "We're not going to Lucifer's tonight, baby. We're going to sleep here, okay?"

"Why?" she asked, sassy as ever.

Avoiding her question, Chloe played with the dark brown hair she got from her dad's side of the family, "Why don't you go pick out a book that we can read together before bed?"

"But mom, I really wanted to tell Lucifer about my weekend…" her eyes grew wide and her mouth curled down, quivering in a genuinely sad pout.

Chloe had to blink several times to regain her focus and swallowed back the lump in her throat. This wasn't just breaking her heart. She never should have let her kid get so attached. "I know Trixie, but you go pick out a book and I'll make us a snack, okay? It'll be fun."

"Did you and Lucifer get into a fight?" she asked sympathetically.

Why did she have to teach her to be so observant? She sighed, getting down to her knees to be on eye level, "We did, baby. You know it's wrong to lie, right? What it does to people's' feelings?"

She nodded, "So you're saying Lucifer lied about something?" She looked skeptical.

"He did. Something really kind of important and now I have to figure out how to handle it."

Trixie shook her head, "No he didn't. Lucifer doesn't lie, Mom. You told me so."

"I think I might have been wrong, Monkey."

She shook her head again, this time more defiant, stubbornly trying to fight back tears, "So we're never going to spend the night at Lux again?"

Chloe bit her lip, "I dunno. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this all on you, Trixie. Are you okay?" She nodded, tears pooling up, threatening to spill. "You know I love you so, so much, right?" Her mom kissed her cheek and squeezed her tight. When she felt her nod, she reluctantly pulled away and rubbed her upper arms, "What do you want for a snack? Not chocolate cake."

Shrugging, she turned around and went to her room to pick out a book, but decided to pull out her phone first.

* * *

"Lucifer?" Linda called, stepping off of the elevator in his penthouse. The curtains across the room billowed in the cool night's breeze, the doors open. "Lucifer!" Imagining the worst, she ran out to the balcony, relieved to see him sitting in the corner.

"Chloe's not here. It's not like jumping off would do me any good," he slurred, taking a pull from a rather large bottle of cognac, a lit cigarette between his fingers.

Linda's heart sank. He was back to being disheveled and looked absolutely exhausted. He had at least changed from his bathrobe yesterday, but was now just wearing the black vest with the purple silk back, the matching jacket wadded up on the other side of the balcony. His pants looked wrinkled enough to assume he'd been here a while. "It didn't go well, did it?" she asked, sliding down the window to take a seat next to him.

He shook his head, "She barely even looked at me. Won't speak to me. Or at least she's not saying anything except that I'm a fucking liar. Which I'm not." He sighed, "I haven't heard from her at all today."

"She texted me a while ago. Said she had to shut her phone off because you've been trying to call all day?" He shrugged, looking guilty. "Look, I know it seems urgent and that you have to talk to her right now, but you've got to give her some space. She needs time to process everything, Lucifer. This is...it's big."

Shaking, he threw the bottle of cognac across the balcony, thankfully hitting the stone trim instead of the glass railing. "I know this is big, Doctor. That's why I need to talk to her, but she won't let me!"

"She just took that test yesterday morning. It's been what, 36 hours since she literally hit you with it? I know it seems impossible, but try to be patient…" Linda pursed her lips, "Here. Maybe this will kill some time." She dug in her bag and pulled out a book. "I know it's cheesy but maybe showing interest in what's going on with her will help smooth things over a little."

Lucifer took the book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting? Doctor, I don't think…"

She patted his arm, "Just look through it. I know you've visited humankind from time to time since the dawn of man, but I doubt you've really looked into that chapter of a woman's anatomy before."

He ran a hand through his hair, blinking his vision into focus and opening the book in the middle, a rather disgusted look spreading across his face, "Oh bloody hell, what is that?!"

Linda chuckled, "Slightly different from Playboy?"

Just then, Lucifer's phone went off, sending the Devil into a panic, trying to reach it before it stopped. It was just a text, but he still felt like he couldn't get to it fast enough. "It's from the Brat…"

The therapist couldn't help but notice his voice crack, though his eyes grew a little less weary. "Wait, is your whole text conversation with Trixie emojis?" she laughed, reading over his shoulder.

He actually smiled, "She calls it our secret code."

"What does this one mean? Fire, cop car, girl, cry face, black heart, devil face, and...is that a night time cityscape?"

He swallowed hard, but his voice still came out only barely audible, "It means 'what the hell?'...her idea...Chloe's sad, Trixie's sad, but she still insists on telling me she 'hearts' me, me being the devil face...ironically, and the night sky is her goodnight." He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger before pulling up his emoji keyboard, typing in the same night sky and the chocolate birthday cake. "Means goodnight, Brat. She being the chocolate cake." He thought for a second and sent another text, this one containing the okay sign and the bed. "Whether or not it's going to be okay, she shouldn't have to worry her little head about it, right?"

"Yeah, you don't like that little girl at all, do you?"

* * *

Detective Decker sat at her desk, headphones in, listening to the audio clips for the thousandth time that week. The voice from the camcorder did sound familiar, but it was just too muffled, no matter what Ella did to try and fix it. She could tell what was being said, but no one could confirm or deny that the voice matched any of their samples. She tried to take a deep breath, but accidentally picked up a whiff of the white daisies in her garbage can and gagged.

Glaring down at them, she caught site of the card. Detective! was scrawled out in Lucifer's handwriting. In a short bout of rage, she took the coffee from her desk and poured it onto the card and flowers, jumping when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She pulled out her ear buds at site of the therapist. "Linda! Jeez, you scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?" At that point, she made eye contact with Ella from across the room and waved. "Perhaps somewhere a little more private?"

Chloe sighed, knowing exactly what this was about. She nodded and led the way to the conference room, both of them closing the blinds before saying a word. "Linda, I know you're talking to Lucifer, and I really don't want to hear it."

Linda sighed, "Chloe, I've been talking to him all week, more as a friend than his therapist. He is just as shocked and freaked out about this as you are."

"Why? Because he got caught in his lie?" her tone was thick with sarcasm, her eyes reflecting more hurt than anger, "What the hell did he think would happen? And why exactly was I so stupid as to believe the bastard?"

The mediator did her best to subtly corral her into a chair, "Look, I know you're angry and I know you're scared, but you have got to hear him out. He didn't know this could happen. As one of my best friends, I am telling you he has never lied to you, Chloe."

"No," Chloe shook her head, "No I guess that's true. Because to Lucifer, a bluff is completely different from a lie. So what? He bluffed that he couldn't get me pregnant so he didn't have to wear a condom? How is that better, Linda?"

She sat down beside her friend, heart in her throat trying to decide how to say what needed to be said, "I don't know if you've noticed yet, or if he's told you, but...you're the only thing that makes Lucifer vulnerable." Chloe snorted and rolled her eyes. "I don't mean that in the cheesy way, though this last week might be proving that right as well. But you're always either the one to make him bleed, or have been close enough to him to make it possible for him to get hurt. You shooting him in the knee was the first time since the beginning of time that he'd ever bled.

"And before you were poisoned by that professor, he had to keep slicing his wrist open to check if you were far enough away so it was safe for him to go in and save those boys. Don't even get me started on what we had to do to get the antidote for that poison. Not my most shining moment in the medical field, but made possible only because you were directly above the room we were in. You were close enough for us to be able to kill him."

Chloe's eyes grew wide, "Wait, what?"

"He literally went to Hell and back to save you. But the point is that you make him bleed so it seems you might just make him fertile as well. He would do anything for you. He loves you more than he can handle and shutting him out like this would kill him if you were close enough."

Chloe closed her eyes, putting her head in her hands. "Even if what you're saying is true," she shook her head, silent tears starting to run down her cheeks, "Lucifer hates kids. Okay, so he didn't know, but now what? You really expect me to believe he's okay with this?"

"Right now he's avoiding a rager he started at Lux a couple days ago because he wised up and realized he has to be more supportive, even if you won't let him talk to you. I left him sober and reading What to Expect When You're Expecting at the bar. Do you have any idea how fast that repels the women that come up to him?" she chuckled at the mental image, though Chloe's expression shut her up quick. "He does not hate kids. At least not all of them. Did you know he and Trixie text in a secret code entirely made up of emojis?"

That made her smile, nodding as Linda handed her the box of kleenex. "I was worried about who she was texting one day until I saw the number. I was just glad they were bonding."

The therapist squeezed her hand, "It'll all be okay, Chloe. Just, please talk to him. The two of you were finally catching a break and something that should be seen as a huge gift is ripping you apart again because you won't just talk it out. If you need me there, you know I'd drop everything to be there, but please give him a chance before this destroys both of you."

Chloe wiped her tears, but the smile disappeared, "That's the problem, Linda. You've seen it too. He's...actually the Devil. This could very literally destroy me. He's not the one this could kill."

Linda's heart started pounding in her throat. She'd never really thought of it that way and based on Chloe's pale face and the dark circles under her eyes, it was the only thing she'd been thinking about. Instead of playing into her friend's fears, she shoved down the thoughts and smiled, though a little weakly, "Do you honestly think it wouldn't kill him if anything happened to you? And besides, you don't know if anything will happen. If anything, this baby is half human and half Lucifer's...not...Devil side…" she cringed a little at the less than eloquent wording. "He probably knows way more about these kinds of situations than either you or I do, so what's the harm in talking to him?"

"I um" the detective started ringing her hands, clearly uncomfortable, "...I have an appointment this afternoon at the clinic."

"Chloe…" the doctor felt a bit like her stomach had exploded and the acid was eating away at every last internal organ.

"I need to uh...I'm gonna go back to work."

She went to leave, but Linda grabbed her wrist as gently as she could and still get the woman to stop, "I get it, I do. It's your body and your choice, but please talk this over with Lucifer. He would never in a million years make you do any of this on your own, no matter what you choose."

Chloe pursed her lips into a sad half smile and nodded, leaving the room and Linda with more questions that answers.

"Shit."

* * *

"Lucif- Oh sweet Jesus…" Linda stepped off the elevator to the penthouse again around eight o'clock, straight into a winter wonderland. The main lights were off, but there were enough Christmas trees and twinkle lights to rival the Griswolds more elegant neighbors, giving everything a very pleasant, festive glow.

"Yes, yes. Technically this holiday is supposedly about him, but I'd just like to point out his birthday was closer to July. Humans and their ragingly biased textbooks," he rolled his eyes and handed her one of the two glasses of eggnog he was carrying. She took a sip and the look of shock must have translated easily, "No rum I'm afraid. Trying to keep my wits about me." His expression went from jolly to obviously anxious in no time, "Just in case."

"Right, I need to um…" Linda tried to catch her breath. She felt like she was going to throw up. "Have you heard from her at all today?"

All the jolly was gone from his face, "No." He shook his head, "I'd set up the appointment with the decorators a couple weeks ago for the Brat and forgot to cancel...with everything going on." He sighed and looked around, "I have to admit it did do a little for my spirits though. Maybe there's hope after all, right Doctor?"

She didn't know what to say. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She just nodded instead, eyes landing on the pile of presents under the biggest of the three Christmas trees in the corner. "Wow…"

Lucifer rubbed his neck, a little bashful. "We'd planned on having a little party here, Chloe and I… I thought I'd surprise her by getting all the shopping done." His shoulders fell, "Look at me, I'm pathetic."

"No, Lucifer. You're not. It's just...it's the whole situation. When it's a shock like this it can either be a really happy, exciting time or a lousy trying time before it gets better." 'If she gives it the chance to get better,' she thought, drowning the idea with virgin eggnog. She bit her lip, trying to decide if she could ethically tell him or not, but thankfully, she didn't have to decide right then and there.

Her phone started buzzing for a text. "Lucifer I really wish Amenadiel or Maze were here so I don't have to leave you alone, but I have to go. One of my younger patients was just admitted and I have to go in for a consultation." She held his arm, desperately wanting to stay with him. She knew he couldn't exactly kill himself, but what was he capable of in this state…

He smiled sadly at her, realizing what this mood of his was doing to her, "Doctor, go." He turned around and sat at the piano, playing a quick run up the keys to warm up. "I can entertain myself. I don't need a babysitter."

She sighed, talking to his back as he started playing, "Call me if you need anything, Lucifer." He nodded and she turned around to hit the button, but the doors were opening.

It was Chloe, looking absolutely angelic in a white sweater, her usual black jeans, hair down, and the bullet necklace that had been absent for the last week. Linda flashed a small smile to her, hoping her eyes could relay the question she was desperate to ask. Her smile back was anything but affirmative, but she did reach out to lightly squeeze the therapist's hand before sneaking onto a bar stool, close behind the man at the piano.

As the doors to the elevator closed, Lucifer started singing, unknown to him that he had an audience.

" _I don't want my freedom, there's no reason for living with a broken heart…_ " Chloe couldn't help the tears that poured when she realized what he was singing. His voice was lower than Freddie's, but it was just as beautiful. " _This is a tricky situation; I've only got myself to blame. It's just a simple fact of life, It can happen to anyone… You win, you lose, It's a chance you have to take with love. Oh yeah, I fell in love, but now you say it's over and I'm falling apart._ "

She noticed the now well worn copy of the book her friend had bought him on top of the piano, the test stuck in the middle as a thick book mark. Grabbing for a bar napkin, she resisted the urge to hug him from behind and blotted her cheeks instead.

" _It's a hard life...to be true lovers together. To love and live forever in each others hearts. It's a long hard fight...To learn to care for each other. To trust in one another right from the start, when you're in love… I try and mend the broken pieces, Oh, I try to fight back the tears._ " His voice grew husky and thick like he really was trying. It broke Chloe's heart and she grabbed for an olive, trying to decide if she wanted to make her move yet or not. Maybe he'd sing it to her again someday… " _Oh, they say it's just a state of mind, but it happens to everyone. How it hurts, deep inside, when your love has cut you down to size. Life is tough on your own. Now I'm waiting for something to fall from the skies. I'm waiting for love…_ "

She couldn't take it anymore. He really was as heartbroken as she felt. She quietly got off the stool, and put a soft hand on his shoulder. His playing faded, "Chlo?" He looked up at her as though he was afraid he was seeing things and she'd disappear as fast as she'd shown up.

"Who knew you liked Queen?" Chloe smiled, tears still in her eyes, "Can I join?"

He scooted over, taking her hand as she sat, "Deja vu?"

She exhaled in a very short, very small laugh, "A little." She nodded, thinking of that very first night they'd slept together. "I should have trusted you."

"Isn't trusting me what got us into this mess in the first place?" he flashed his sad smile to the piano, afraid to look at her.

Chloe put a hand on his cheek, turning his face to her, "I know you didn't know. That's not your fault." She shook her head, returning the same tear filled smile. "Lucifer, I have been...deliriously happy these past couple months, and I didn't think I ever would be again. You know, at least not without feeling guilty about Charlotte and what happened with Pierce and how I should have been able to stop it."

Lucifer shook his head, "Chloe, no. There was nothing you could have done..."

"I know." She nodded, "I know. But I just never thought I'd be able to feel the way I do when I'm with you after all that, and here I've been on Cloud Nine because of you. And Trixie," she laughed, "I think she's just as much in love with you as I am." She stopped, realizing what she'd said.

"Detective?" Lucifer grinned, though a little sheepishly, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Did you just admit you love me?" It was his turn for unshed tears

Chloe rolled her eyes in fun, "I mean we did have a 75 day streak, didn't we?"

He laughed, "We did." He paused for a moment, the impact of his realization softening his eyes to the most heartfelt look Chloe had ever seen, "And not a single night of that was meaningless, was it?"

"It wasn't," she smiled, reaching up to kiss him.

Lucifer put a hand in her hair, rubbing her head with his most gentle, electrifying fingers, wrapping his other arm around her waist and deepening the kiss. When they pulled apart, they were breathless and he leaned his forehead to hers, their noses pressed to each other's. "I love you, Chloe. It's actually hard to breathe, I love you so much." She pulled away and started crying, more than just the tears rolling down her cheeks, "I'm sorry, I thought it was time I told you. I just…" How did he mess up this time?

Chloe saw the sad, scared look in his eyes and shook her head, "Oh no! No, no Lucifer, don't apologize. I just never thought I'd hear you say that."

He breathed a sigh of relief and reached for the bullet necklace, trying to break the seriousness, "I guess this is kind of a lie anymore."

"Kind of is, yeah." She took the hand that was playing with the bullet, "Lucifer, I went to the clinic today for a… a consultation."

"What?" his face fell completely again, "You mean for a…"

She nodded, "Yeah."

"Oh…"

"They asked if it was because of a health issue or uh...a mutation of some kind and I said I didn't know, but it was possible." She started crying again at the look on his face, but controlled it enough to continue. "It's okay, Lucifer," she squeezed his hand and with the other, dug in her purse, pulling out a picture and putting it on the ledge of the piano, "They did a scan. And...and everything looked normal."

The picture quite literally took Lucifer's breath away. He looked at Chloe, smiling with relief and then at the sonogram, "That's…?"

Chloe nodded, pulling out the olive she'd tucked in the front pocket of her purse and put it in front of the picture, "The doctor put me at about nine weeks, which means that tiny little thing in there causing all of this worry is about the size of that olive." She chuckled, looking over to see the father with tears on his cheeks, "And she's got a fast, healthy, strong heartbeat."

He tore his eyes away from the picture and the olive, eyebrows raised, "She?"

"You read the book, I hear. It's too early to tell, but when I saw the screen, it just looked exactly like the first time I saw Trixie and I just...couldn't." She sighed, sitting up straighter and putting a hand down low on her belly, "I've just been calling it a girl since."

Lucifer took a deep breath, "I guess that means we're uh...we're having a baby."

The mother smirked, snuggling into his arms as he rested his head on top of hers, his hand covering hers on her stomach, "Did the Devil ever think he'd be saying that?"

He laughed, shaking his head, "I cannot honestly say this was ever part of the plan, no," kissing the top of her sandy blond hair, he added, "But what's the fun in life without a little spontaneity, right?" He reached out to grab the picture and looked at it closely, "Oh look! You can see his little horn nubbins!"

Chloe sat bolt upright and snatched the picture from him, eyes wide, "What?!"

Lucifer laughed his first real belly laugh in a week. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He was still laughing as Chloe glared at him. He calmed down and pushed the hair from his forehead, "I'm just kidding. See? No horns. You're fine."

She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding, overwhelmed, "That's why I was at that clinic in the first place, Lucifer. How do we know this baby doesn't have horns or...or a tail, or that it won't kill me. What if this is like Renesmée?"

"Renes-?" he chuckled, "Really, Chloe? Not a single Body Bags movie, but all five Twilight movies?"

"Will this kill me?" she hated that her mood had changed so fast, but she couldn't control it no matter how hard she tried, "Lucifer Dan can't raise a little girl on his own because I didn't make you wear a condom. What…what happens here?" Chloe got up from the piano bench and started pacing.

The Devil got up too and managed to catch her and hold her tight from behind, letting his hands rest between her hips. "My father will have to wait a very, very long time until he gets to take you, Chloe. If I ever let him take you." He looked around at the current decor of his penthouse, "Granted, it's my first, but this isn't exactly the first time a celestial being left a little souvenir on Earth. I think you've probably heard of my half brother."

Chloe was breathing heavy, nerves getting the best of her. "Okay," she nodded, feeling a bit better. She laughed, really taking in her surroundings for the first time since stepping off the elevator, "I am not giving birth in a barn though. Mary can have that to herself."

"I'll book a room at the inn right now," Lucifer moved her hair and kissed her neck. "Let's go to bed, Chlo." She stiffened, making it clear that as much as she loved the man holding her, she just was not in the mood. "I meant to sleep, Love. You look exhausted and I do believe I may still have my first hangover." He guided her back to the piano and picked up the picture. "Seems a bit barbaric to dispose of the olive now…"

Chloe just laughed, popping it in her mouth. At Lucifer's exasperated smile, she grinned and patted her belly, "What? She thought it looked good."

* * *

 _It's A Hard Life by Queen. If you haven't heard it I suggest you give it a listen. :) As always, thanks for reading and feel free to review!_


	5. The Devil Does Christmas

_Happy Spring! Naturally it's the perfect time for a little [okay, sorry it's really long] Christmas chapter! :)_

 _Thank you so much for those of you that reviewed! That does a LOT for the motivation, but so do the favorites and follows. You guys rock!_

Chapter 5

"Chloe," Lucifer whispered in the dark, padding at the silky black duvet over the detective's rump.

"Ten more minutes," she mumbled, hugging the pillow tighter, scooching farther under the bedding.

He kissed her bare shoulder, wrapping his arms around her chest and pulling her close, "You were sleeping on your stomach again."

"She's somewhere between an olive and a strawberry. It's okay." She patted his arm and turned her head to kiss his cheek, "That's cute though."

"No reason to squish the poor lad."

"Lad, huh?" She yawned, "You're taking this awfully well, Lucifer. Are you sure you're okay?"

She felt him shrug, "Unexpected is a bit of an understatement, but I'm fine with all of this."

"Fine. Right." Chloe chuckled, trying to sound less hurt than she felt, closing her eyes again.

Lucifer sighed, realizing what he'd said, "Excited, Chloe. As Miss Lopez would say, I'm 'freaking out', but I'm excited."

"That's normal," she smiled, rolling over to snuggle into his chest, "I'm freaking out too."

Kissing the top of her head, he ran his fingernails up and down her spine, grinning to himself when he felt the goosebumps rise in their path, "So when do I get to tell everyone the love of my life is carrying the spawn of Satan?"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "When we know everything is okay at twelve weeks."

"What have I said now? You're crying again," he sighed.

"You probably have about seven and a half more months left of this. Especially if you insist on being so sweet."

"Should I stop?"

"Never." She sighed after a few minutes of listening to his heart thump against her ear, "It's Christmas Eve. I wanted to have Chelsea's case solved by now and I've only bought for Secret Santa and one thing for Trixie so far...and you."

"You're close though, I can feel it. And we're both taken care of, Detective. I'd been putting a wish list together of everything the Brat mentioned she wanted since that dinner party with your mum and the dry chicken. It all came in the mail a few days ago."

"Turkey. That was Thanksgiving," she laughed "Everything? Lucifer, I don't want her getting _everything_ she wants. You know that. That's how she turns into a spoiled little-"

"Brat?" he smirked, "I drew the line at a goat. I _hate_ goats."

Chloe laughed, "No, she asked for a goat?"

"She saw a video of baby fainting goats on Wobble and suddenly my iPad history is full of goats. I thought Amenadiel was back," he chuckled a little sadly. "Instead there's that All American Doll you made me send back before, the baking set for it, and a Corvette. Newer than mine, I'm afraid. And pink," he cringed.

"Just to be clear, we're talking a pink Corvette for the doll, right? Not an actual pink Corvette."

"Course. Besides, she's already requested a 'lime green Bugatti' for her sixteenth birthday," he laughed, "Your spawn's got decent taste."

"It'll change twelve times by then, but she can drive a beater like I did at sixteen. Don't let her give you any ideas." She shook her head, "You didn't have to spend that much on her though, I know how much that All American Girl stuff costs."

"I certainly don't have to worry about you loving me for my money, do I? Chloe, like it or not, I'm a big part of her life now. Her sibling is my child after all. You can let me treat her like I would if she were my own."

"You don't…you don't like kids, Lucifer. You called Trixie the best form of birth control."

"Clearly that worked well. But I wish you would trust me, Chloe. Other people's children I'm not too fond of, no. But Trixie's worn me down, I'm afraid. There's a certain respect there."

Chloe snorted, "That's why the _Devil_ went all out for a holiday in his brother's honor that he'd otherwise never really mentioned…"

"Half brother."

"Trixie has you wrapped so tight around her little finger, it's adorable."

"She does not." He tried to sound offended.

"Sure," she smirked, but reached up to put a hand on his cheek, "I do trust you. And I like that you're a big part of our lives. This is all just going to take a lot of getting used to." She paused, brow furrowing, "What did you buy yourself? You said you were taken care of too."

He reached over to his side table and grabbed the picture from the sonogram, "That one you still took care of."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Ugh, cheeseball."

"What, no tears? I thought that was a good one." He laughed, putting the picture back in the drawer and climbed on top of the Detective, careful to not put any weight between her hips. He started kissing her collarbones, his tousled hair tickling her face and making her squirm. "It's been more than a week, you know."

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, this time for a very different reason. Lucifer was doing that thing with his fingers again, "We could rebuild our streak." Her hips rose to meet his tongue, working its way down her belly button. Her toes curled as he got closer, his own hot breath and moaning driving her wild. Until he stopped. Frozen. "What? No, don't stop. Lucifer?"

"I never even thought…" He actually looked a little terrified, "Can we?"

Chloe gently tried to coerce his mouth back to where it was, the area still begging for attention, "I thought you read the book? Yes, it's fine. Healthy even. Please."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Lucifer. Please."

"Why Detective, I do love hearing you beg." His most devilish grin spread across his worried face as he slowly crawled back up, kissing her in the most tender places. "I dunno if I should…" he whispered in her ear, knowing exactly what he was doing to her as she bucked under his busy hand.

She weaved her fingers into his hair, kissing him hard. "Pretty please," she braced herself, expecting him to plunge right in, hard and fast like he so loved doing to her. Instead it was slow and gentle, causing a low moan to escape her lips, his size feeling even bigger the slower he went. "Oooooh yes," she breathed into his neck as his slow thrusts went deeper and deeper until he stopped again. "What's the matter?"

He leaned himself up on his elbows, cradling her face in his hands, "I just…I don't know. I don't want to hurt it."

"I _was_ pregnant the last time we did this, you know." She gave him a comforting smile, caressing his scruff with her thumb. "You're not gonna hit her head, I promise. Besides, we have to enjoy it now before I'm too big." She wrapped a leg around his thigh and lifted herself to slide up and down his shaft, egging him on. He bit his lip and gave a low growl himself. It was working.

"I can think of several different positions that will do just fine then, Detective." He pulled out oh so slowly, leaning down to kiss just above her pelvic bone, "You're going to want to plug your ears for this, little one." Chloe laughed, her heart fluttering at his soft smile. He picked up her feet and slid a pillow under her back, kissing the inside of each ankle before placing them on his smooth, muscular shoulders. His soft silky hair tickling her legs and sending goosebumps down her thighs. Teasing her with his raging erection, he turned serious for a moment, "Tell me if I'm getting too rough."

"Just avoid the boobs, that's all I ask."

"You can lay on them, but I have to be gentle? What will I do with you, Detective?"

* * *

Chloe woke up feeling movement between her hip bones. Knowing better, she carefully lifted the duvet enough to see Lucifer's big hand gently rubbing the ever so slightly swollen area below her belly button. He was still fast asleep, though a small smile played at his lips. She sighed, still unable to truly believe any of this was real. She still expected to wake up any moment to find Maze sitting across her bedroom eating popcorn and enjoying the show.

She carefully adjusted herself so she was laying on her back to look up at his beautiful…well, angelic face, his hand still caressing her belly. This loving, protective, vulnerable, even cuddly Devil made her stomach tie itself in knots. They weren't the nauseated kind brought on by her tiny passenger he'd helped to put there, but the kind she'd put there herself.

Chloe very gently reached up to put a hand on his cheek, "I'm sorry I told you to go back to Hell, Lucifer." She whispered, barely audible, "Please don't ever leave me."

"What if I went to make breakfast?" he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

"Depends on what's for breakfast."

Lucifer thought for a moment, "How about French toast, scrambled eggs, and some more Devil meat?" he grinned, his eyes still closed.

Chloe shook her head. He'd had a week of innuendos to make up for afterall. "All but the Devil meat since I'll just want seconds and there's no time for that today," she teased.

"There's a stash of candy canes in your nightstand if you need one," he opened one eye, letting go of her enough to let her roll to the drawer.

"No, I mean the party starts in," she looked at her watch, "seven hours and I haven't cooked anything. And Trixie and Dan might be here a little earlier since they're coming straight from afternoon Christmas Eve Mass with Dan's parents."

"Poor child."

"Dan's parents are super Catholic." She stopped, putting a hand on the Devil's bare chest, "Ohmygod, Lucifer."

"Wrong deity," he smirked, but she didn't even notice he'd said anything.

"Am I going to be like...the Satanist's Virgin Mary?" She sounded a bit panicked.

Lucifer started laughing and, still mostly asleep, moved his hand a little farther south, "Well we both know you're not that."

Chloe purred at the light massage. "Was _she_?"

"You know, I'm not entirely sure. Ask Amenadiel if he ever decides to show up again."

The massage stopped, but she figured the mention of his brother probably killed his mood. The look on his face was more of regret, however. "I thought Gabriel told her she was pregnant? Was it really Amenadiel?"

Lucifer pursed his lips, now fully awake, trying his hardest to carefully remove the foot he'd placed in his mouth. Yes, she'd chosen him time and time again, but this wasn't exactly the way he wanted to have the discussion about his brother's involvement in her life. That was coming eventually, he knew, but not on this ridiculous holiday that meant so much to her.

Instead, he shrugged, "I wasn't paying much attention to dear old Dad's drama at that point. Amenadiel's just the suckup that might know."

"Suppose Amenadiel's ever coming back? Maybe once Charlotte is...is settled the right word?"

Lucifer ran his hand up to play with her hair and kissed her forehead, "That's a good way of thinking about it. A nice new apartment. Beachfront, of course. Sunshine year round. Bit chilly though." He smiled, more for Chloe's benefit. It had been so long since he'd been there, he wasn't exactly sure what it was like anymore. Noticing a tear rolling down her cheek, he kissed it away, "What now?" he asked gently, though he couldn't help the snigger that made her laugh too.

"Sorry. I was just picturing my dad knocking on her door with a welcome basket full of his special sandwiches."

"On Hawaiian bread?"

She nodded, "And she'll tell him all about Trixie."

"And his daughter, the beautiful," he started planting feather light kisses all over her face and collar bones between adjectives, "wonderful, brave, brilliant, cheeky, caring, sickeningly good, successful Detective and mum."

"Okay, _now_ I need that candy cane." She wriggled out from under him and dug through the night stand Lucifer had insisted she fill with her stuff. She really was feeling a bit nauseous, but it was more so she could wipe away the tears that kept rolling down her cheeks without him noticing.

Lucifer got up and grabbed for his silk robe, still as naked as he was when they fell asleep the night before, and again in the middle of the night. "That mean you're not hungry?" He wasn't getting a response, but what she was doing to the candy cane while very obviously ogling him was sure giving him one. "Detective?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Pregnancy brain, sorry."

"Right, right. Already." he pretended to be mad, "Really Chloe, you make me feel like a sex object." He in turn swept down the two small steps from the bedroom to the accompaniment of Chloe's kissy noises.

* * *

Feeling much less nauseous after a quick barf, tooth brushing, and shower, Chloe walked into the kitchen in her favorite of Lucifer's big fluffy white towels. The smell of bacon was a much more enticing invite than the recent struggle she'd been having with the small wardrobe accumulated in the giant walk-in closet.

She stopped at the doorway to take it all in. Against the sexy decor of dark wood, black granite, subtle orange backlighting, and clean lines, the Devil himself looked like he belonged in a romantic comedy. He was singing along to _Mr. Fahrenheit_ , playing on the kitchen's sound system, his hair was curly and free of the usual product, and his blue silk robe hugged every chiselled cut of his perfect frame. Even appearing completely domesticated, dunking the thick cut bread into the batter, every single thing about him oozed genuine sex appeal. She bit her lip and felt herself becoming a hot, quivering mess, nonchalantly crossing her legs to try and control what this side of him was doing to her.

 _Snap out of it, Decker. You've got shit to do._ She scolded herself, taking a deep breath as she made her way to the fridge before panic set in. "Lucifer, what the hell?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, not missing a beat of the song as he laid the bread on the griddle.

"Sorry," she rolled her eyes, "but seriously? We have what? Seven, _maybe_ eight people eating Christmas dinner and the only thing you have in your fridge is stuff for breakfast? It's Christmas Eve! Nothing's open! What do you expect me to do with...with" she pulled out what was left of the carton of eggs, "four eggs and a bottle of ketchup?" That gave her a pause, "You have ketchup?"

"That's your offspring's faut. She likes it on her scrambled eggs." He shrugged, flipping a section of bacon.

She smiled, momentarily forgetting the dilemma. "She does," she could feel her skin growing hot again. _Decker!_ "But come on, you had literally everything else already done, but not the groceries? What are we going to eat?"

His hands full, Lucifer unfurled a wing and used it to pull her close and hold her tight to his side, causing Chloe to jump. He chuckled self consciously at her reaction. "I think we'll have prime rib, ham, lobster, mashed potatoes, maybe some baked potatoes, a vegetable of some sort, and the Brat requested something called Ready Mac. Oh, and we have a vegetarian option for whoever decides to hate themselves this week. I even thought of the Douche and ordered a chocolate pudding dessert that I think he'll find quite delectable."

"Ordered?" Chloe relaxed a little, reaching for a slice of bacon draining off to the side, but her hand was lightly swatted away with a spatula.

"Honestly, Detective. You think I'd let you stress over a meal I could just as easily have catered?"

She leaned her head on his arm and sighed, that particular giant weight off her shoulders. Absently stroking the pure white feathers around her waist, she didn't realize that Lucifer started moving much slower, having completely lost his concentration.

He put the tongs down and grabbed her hand, his breath noticeably ragged, "Chloe."

She froze, her eyes growing wide and a lump formed in her throat. "I'm so sorry, I thought…"

"No," he cut her off, shaking his head, "no, it's fine." He grinned, "You just don't want any devil meat for breakfast, but keep doing that and I'll have no choice but to feed it to you."

That caught Chloe completely off guard, "Angelic erogenous zone, huh?" she asked with a higher than normal giggle. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."

He very carefully unfurled the other wing and leaned down to kiss the detective behind her ear, "They're sensitive. Does to me what this does to you…" Lucifer wrapped his arms around her and nibbled on her earlobe. His hot breath and massaging hand in her wet hair sent her senses into overdrive. His other hand wandered down to lift the towel and cup her bum as he pulled her close, the result of her touch pressed against her belly. She was breathing hard against his neck. "That primal urge is stronger than you right now, isn't it, Detective?"

"We do have time now that I don't have to cook," she bargained, breathless.

Before she knew it, the towel was gone, Lucifer's robe was open, Chloe was up on a cleared section of cold granite counter, and all of the Devil's concerns about being too rough with her from the night before seemed to have dissipated. They were both completely lost in the moment, the detective pulling him in tighter with her ankles around his lower back, frantically gripping at the base of his wings for something to stabilize herself, Lucifer with his hands flat on the cupboards behind her, his tongue hungrily groping every surface of her delicious mouth.

"So we're just gonna let breakfast burn, or…?"

Chloe screamed, biting Lucifer's tongue when he nearly jumped out of his skin. His wings retracted into his back faster than they had appeared and as quickly as she had been thrown onto the counter, the blond was back on the floor, Lucifer's robe wrapped around her. Chloe's towel forgotten, he grabbed for a dish towel to hide his own assets, both of them trying to catch their breath from exertion and the pure shock of the intrusion.

"Maze, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Lucifer was finally able to bellow, though it was a bit mushed from the bite. Had Chloe not still been at his side, he wouldn't have tried so hard to control his eyes from blazing.

Mazikeen cackled, "Enjoying the show. Find a new kink, Decker?"

The woman in question went scarlet, furious. She couldn't quite tell if she was shaking from humiliation or frustration, having been so very close to what would have been an earth shattering orgasm. "It's called knocking, Maze."

"It's the kitchen! Remind me not to eat anything here tonight."

Chloe stormed out, leaving Lucifer fuming as well. "Will you…" he took a deep breath to calm himself, "just...flip those."

Maze rolled her eyes, grabbing a piece of bacon and poked at the already blackened french toast. "Welcome back Mazikeen! How was Iowa, Mazikeen? No? Nice."

In the closet, Chloe was still upset and already trying on her second shirt with a pair of grey skinny jeans. The jeans still fit just fine, but the shirts were not laying right.

"Are you okay, Detective?" Lucifer knocked, although he was already halfway in, switching the dish towel for his robe.

She shook her head and huffed, sending the pink shirt flying. "It's useless, they're gonna figure it out. My face is even puffy already."

"Figure what out?"

Chloe turned so her profile was between Lucifer and the mirror, standing up straight. There was a definite, though very small bump stretching the waistline of her jeans. A smile played on the father's lips, his heart squeezing with pride. "This isn't funny, Lucifer. I don't want anyone to know yet."

"I know, I know." He felt a little deflated, but really did understand why she wanted to wait, no matter how hard it was. "Look, I see it because I know it's there." He grabbed her olive green sweater and held it over her head until she put her arms up, kissing her when her head came through the neck and lifted the bullet necklace out to be seen. "You are beautiful, Chloe."

She gave him a half smile, but looked to her side in the mirror and shook her head again, "Too flowy. That's the first thing they'll look for."

Lucifer sighed, placing a hand on the bump, "No one will know, Chloe. If anything they'll just think you helped the urchin finish a couple chocolate cakes and a gingerbread house or two," he smiled, wiggling an eyebrow.

"So I look fat. Great. That's...that's real nice, Lucifer. Thanks." Her tone was icy as she jerked away from his hand.

"I really don't think that's what I said," his brow furrowed. "No no, I actually _know_ that's not what I said." But before he could finish, Chloe was already out of the walk in closet and he could hear her and Maze talking more or less like their normal selves. He still felt a little dazed, not sure what he'd done to piss her off this time, but tried to shrug it off as the hormones he'd read about and headed to the shower.

* * *

By the time five o'clock came around, Chloe had managed to bake four dozen chocolate chip cookies while Maze sat on the kitchen island, half of the whiskey bottle she'd brought in with her gone. The demon had been telling the detective about her exploits in Iowa and how the country would do much better if they just cut the midwest out, but she wasn't exactly paying attention. In all reality, she was still fuming about Lucifer's comment.

"Ass," she growled, eyes widening as she realized she'd actually said it out loud.

"What?" Maze shrugged, "So we'd lose out on the corn. Big deal."

"Detective, are you willing to surrender the kitchen to the caterers?" Lucifer popped in the swinging door, now dawned in a red button down shirt and a grey three piece suit, hair and scruff groomed perfectly enough to bug the crap out of Chloe.

"Mhm," she nodded, not looking up from moving the cookies from the cooling racks to the platters.

Lucifer sighed and slipped back out, leaving Maze with a smirk on her face, "Well well well! What _did_ I interrupt this morning?"

"It's nothing," Chloe handed her a platter, stacking the racks in the dishwasher and grabbed the other. "Come on, let's put these on the bar."

"Yes your highness," she rolled her eyes, dunking a cookie in the whiskey glass and replacing it's spot with the bottle. "Did someone forget to check the sex swing for leftover thongs?"

"Maze!" Chloe blushed as the caterers started hauling their supplies into the kitchen, "I haven't seen that thing since I told you to get it out of my living room."

"Oh it _is_ still your living room?"

Chloe glared at her, "My name's still on the lease, isn't it? Besides, we stayed there last week."

"You got _Lucifer_ to stay somewhere other than here for a week?"

"Well, no," she checked around to make sure the man in question wasn't listening, "I just needed some space so Trixie and I had a girls' week. No big deal."

"Uh huh…"

Just then, the bell for the elevator dinged and Lucifer stepped down from the bedroom stairs to put an arm around the Detective's waist. She very subtly nudged away from him, but not subtle enough to keep it from Maze. The demon's eyebrow raised at the pathetic kicked puppy expression she saw in the man's eyes, though it only lasted a moment.

Trixie's jaw dropped as she stepped off the elevator, "Holy shit!"

"Trixie!" Chloe warned, trying to sound stern, but she was also trying not to laugh.

Lucifer grinned, "Is that an approval?"

"This is amazing!" the little girl dropped the bags she was carrying and ran over to the three Christmas trees, inspecting the packages underneath.

"Is this why Target was out of Christmas lights?" Dan looked a little shocked, and shook his head, "Way to show me up, man."

The Devil shrugged, "I'd say it only happens but once a year, Daniel but I'd be lying. We all know I don't do that, now don't we?" Chloe huffed and elbowed him in the side before Trixie came back and wrapped her arms tight around his waist. "Oh, hello child," he awkwardly patted her head, but unlike times in the past, he left his hand there and ruffled up her black locks.

Her mother noticed and grinned, much to her annoyance. _You're still mad at him, dammit._

"This is so cool, Lucifer!" Trixie looked up at him with a huge smile, "When can I open my presents?"

"Ask your mum."

"Tomorrow morning," Chloe chuckled at the pair's expression, hugging her little girl as she let go of Lucifer and ran over to her. "How was Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa, Munchkin?"

"Dad and Grandpa and I cut down our own tree yesterday, but Grandma didn't feel like decorating it so Dad and I threw tinsel at it and it looked super cool."

Her mom's eyes grew wide at the mental picture, "I can imagine."

"But they thought I had an All American Doll so I got a bunch of clothes for that and some books for school. It was kind of a dud this year."

Lucifer snorted, pouring himself a drink.

"But what did _I_ get you, Trix?" Dan asked, setting down the large black rectangular box he was carrying.

"Oh yeah!" Her eyes lit up, "Dad got me a pink electric guitar."

Maze was busting a gut and the Devil started choking on the sip he'd just taken. "Oh Sir Douche, you didn't."

"Wow," Chloe plastered a smile on her face, though it looked more than a little forced. "That's...that's fantastic, Sweety."

Dan grinned, throwing up rock horns, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Espinoza." Maze sauntered over to hand him a drink, licking her lips and letting her hand and eye contact linger long enough to make everyone but Trixie uncomfortable. The little girl was so used to her antics that it just didn't even phase her.

Dan was the one to break the eye contact, looking to Chloe for help. His ex just pursed her lips into a questioning smirk. "Uh…Thank you, Maze."

"Come on, Monkey. Let's go put this stuff in your room before Ella and Linda get here. I want to see your loot." Chloe motioned for her daughter to pick up her other bags and went to grab the guitar case, but was quickly stopped by Lucifer grabbing it instead. "What are you doing?" she snapped.

"Allow me, Detective," his eyes pierced hers, trying to get her to understand. "It's heavy. I've got it."

Realizing what he was doing, she cocked her head, eyes widening in her trademark glare, "I'm perfectly capable, Lucifer."

"I know you are, Detective. I'm trying to be chivalrous," not waiting for her response, he grabbed the case and followed a very confused Trixie.

"Everything okay, Chlo?" Dan asked, cautiously taking a sip from the glass Maze had handed him.

Backing up to follow the other two, she waved it off, "Oh jeez. Yes. Everything's perfectly fine. He's just a little skeeved out by the whole Christmas thing. Being the Devil and all, you know." She playfully rolled her eyes, knowing her ex was still clueless.

When she got to the corner room that Lucifer had the decorators assault with twinkle lights and garland, the pink guitar was already out and he was showing Trixie a rather complicated looking chord. "You play guitar too?"

"It's not like I haven't had time to learn," he handed the instrument off to the beaming brunette and went to leave.

Chloe grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hall, away from the door, "What the hell was that?"

"You're not exactly supposed to do any heavy lifting."

She rolled her eyes, "It's a guitar, Lucifer. What's next, I can't pour my own coffee?"

"I just…"

"Well knock it off. I'm pregnant, I'm not dying."

"I hear someone's ready to rock the house down!" Ella popped around the corner in full elf rigailia, her best frontman voice booming down the hall. "Oh no, did I walk in on something again? Sorry guys. Kinda my specialty."

Lucifer sighed but smiled at his friend, "Oh we know, Miss Lopez."

Fully taking in her appearance, they both started laughing. "Ella you make an adorable elf." Chloe reached out and gave her a hug, "I'm sorry you didn't get to go to Detroit this year."

She shrugged, "It's all good. I facetimed with everyone this morning and saw the snow in the background. I'm good right where I'm at."

"Ella!" Trixie ran to the door, "Come see what Dad got me for Christmas!"

"OHMYGOSH!" Ella fanned herself dramatically, "It's Trixie Espinoza! Someone grab me a Sharpie so I can get her autograph!"

"I'm gonna go see that the little sex thug hasn't slipped anything in Daniel's drink yet," Lucifer turned to tell Chloe, but she was already in the bedroom, laughing with Ella and Trixie. He couldn't help but notice the way her eyes went soft, looking at the tiny clothes, even if they were for a doll. His heart squeezed again, this time accompanied by the same horrible feeling in his stomach that always came when she pushed him away like this.

He tried to shrug it off again, but the guilt was still weighing on his shoulders as he made his way back to the living room to find Linda, a bottle of wine in hand. "Doctor!" he turned on the charm as an attempt to distract her from noticing anything was wrong in front of the others, but noticed they were actually out on the balcony. Odd.

She smiled, slightly apprehensive, and checked to make sure no one was within ear shot. "I brought non-alcoholic wine for Chloe...if she needs it."

He nodded, a little sadly, "That's perfect. Thank you, Linda."

Her smile fell at the man's reaction, "Wait, did she…?"

"No, no, everything's fine. We're just having a little uh...tiff."

"Lucifer, what did you do?"

"I don't know," he took a sip of whiskey from the glass he'd left earlier. "Everything was perfectly fine until she asked me if she was showing."

"Oh no." The therapist pinched the bridge of her nose, "What exactly did you say?"

"I said what I thought she'd want to hear."

"You didn't…"

"I said the only way you could tell was if you knew, otherwise she looked like she'd just eaten a cake or two." He looked a little sheepish, rubbing his neck. "That wasn't the right answer, was it?"

"Go apologize to that woman, Lucifer. Or no one's having a merry Christmas."

* * *

By the time dinner was over, all of the tension in the air was gone. Lucifer had apologized to Chloe and she decided that trying to resist him was pointless, Dan had let his guard down with Maze and the two of them were chattering throughout dinner, and Ella, Linda, and Trixie had taken over the penthouse sound system and started blasting the most upbeat Christmas playlists they could find.

"You know I never really thought this would be how the Devil does Christmas," Dan snickered cynically, joining Chloe in the corner by the piano. She laughed along with him, but noticed the man across the room, now talking with Linda, a small package in her hand. The blond looked a little forlorn, slipping it back into the bag she'd brought out with her other gifts to put under the tree. Lucifer squeezed her arm and gave her a comforting smile.

"He knows how to throw a party," she shrugged, tearing her eyes away from the two, making a mental note to ask about it later. "Candy cane?" She asked, pulling a couple out of the box on the bar.

Her ex's brow furrowed, "Hitting those kinda hard this year."

Chloe's cheeks grew hot, but even with all the twinkle lights, she doubted he would notice. She shrugged, "Any new breaks on Chelsea's case?"

"Oh yeah," he pulled his phone out and opened his Wabble app. "I did some more digging on Judy May last night."

"We already looked at her Wobble profile and didn't see anything."

"We looked at her public profile. I found her personal one."

"Dan…"

"Yeah," he puffed up his chest, obviously feeling very proud. "I created a fake profile and sent a friend request. She accepted. Not her brightest move."

Chloe's eyebrow raised, "Is that legal?"

"You want to see what I found or not?" He hid the screen, knowing that would change her mind. She sighed and held her hand out for the phone. "Look in the album labeled _Changes_."

She started scrolling and her jaw dropped, "That's Mitch…" the Detective pointed to a picture of Judy and Mitch, obviously taken a few years back. They were both cheesing out to the camera, Judy holding up her left hand and displaying a beautiful new, shiny engagement ring. "I wonder what happened there?"

Dan shrugged, but the two were interrupted by Maze pushing glasses of red wine into both of their hands, "No work at the party, losers."

Chloe's mind was racing, trying to put everything from the case together. She didn't notice what she was doing when she clinked glasses with the other two and took a drink, turning around to see Lucifer wrapping his arm around her waist, a glass of wine in his hand as well. "Detectives, I thought we agreed. No working tonight."

"Dan was just showing me something he'd found on May's Wobble profile. I'll tell you about it later when I decide what it means."

"Right," Maze sounded completely disinterested, pulling Dan out to the makeshift dance floor where Ella was twirling a very giggly Trixie. Dan looked back at his coworkers, an almost scared, confused look on his face.

Chloe laughed, motioning to the wine glass, "It's okay Lucifer. One glass won't hurt. Otherwise they'll think it's fishy I'm not drinking. They're resilient little buggers."

Lucifer opened his mouth to protest, but Dan was back, reaching for his phone, "Whose resilient?"

"Mom and pop wineries," Chloe blurted out. "We were just talking about all the cute little family owned vineyards in Napa Valley and how uh…" she looked up to the man with his arm around her waist for some help, but his eyes were just sparkling with amusement, "how big wine companies aren't pushing them out of the way, so they just keep working and working and stomping and fermenting and...uh..."

Dan nodded a little slowly, putting his phone back in his pocket, "I didn't know you were so passionate about the state's wine industry Chloe."

"Oh totally," she nodded, more enthusiastically than she meant to until he headed back to the dance floor. "Wineries?"

"Nice save," Lucifer chuckled, handing her his glass, "Linda brought the non-alcoholic stuff."

"Thank you," they switched glasses, peaking around to make sure no one saw. "Is she okay? What was the present she put back?"

The man shrugged, "It was for Amenadiel. She thought maybe I had more news."

"Ah," she smiled sadly, but perked up again, watching Linda join in on the dancing, entertaining everyone with her rather bad version of the robot. "Are you having fun?" She reached up to scratch Lucifer's back, noticing he was grinning from ear to ear.

He tried to control his face, looking down at the detective, "Not quite the liquor fueled orgies of Lux Christmas past, but it's enjoyable."

She laughed, knowing he was just trying to save face, "See? Christmas doesn't have to just be about your half brother. I didn't believe in all that stuff growing up, so it was about spending time with family and friends and eating as many holiday treats as physically possible." She raised her glass, the wrapped candy cane still between her fingers like a cigarette. "Thanks for stashing these everywhere."

"You are very welcome my ironic darling," he leaned down to kiss her temple. "Is it time for that Secret Santa thing yet?"

* * *

"Thanks for coming guys! Merry Christmas!" Chloe and Trixie waved to their guests as the elevator doors closed, everyone laughing and buzzed, carrying their gifts and leftovers.

Secret Santa had turned into a game of who could give the best gag gifts along with their other presents to each other. Dan received a Costco sized case of pudding with a padlock from Linda, who in turn received a Kilty Pleasures of the day calendar from Dan, Trixie got a ginormous stuffed green alien with a shirt that said _Trixie for President - 2044_ from Maze, Lucifer was a great sport when he unwrapped a set of flashing red Devil horns from Ella, who received a Marie Curie action figure from Trixie, and Maze of course rolled her eyes at the ginormous foam battle axe for indoor practice from Chloe. Lucifer, having ceased the opportunity of drawing the Detective from the hat they'd passed around at the precinct a couple weeks before, had picked out the tiniest, most risque Mrs. Claus themed lingerie he could find.

The look on her face when she snapped the box shut without letting anyone see still made him chuckle as he waved from his spot at the piano, flashing horns still on his head.

Chloe looked at her watch, "You, young lady, should be getting to bed."

Trixie folded her arms and shook her head, but she looked exhausted from dancing and playing with Ella all night. "I have some work to do first."

"Ooh, right. I almost forgot. You do that, and I'll grab our Christmas Eve presents, okay. Then bed."

Her mom disappeared up into the bedroom and Trixie went over to sit at the piano, "Lucifer, do you have any paper somewhere? I need to write a note to Santa to leave with the milk and cookies."

He smirked and pulled a pen out of his jacket pocket, "There's bar napkins up there."

"Thank you," she grabbed the pen and climbed up a bar stool and got to work writing her note, leaving three cookies on another napkin and turning back to Lucifer, concern spreading across her little face. "You don't have milk, do you?"

He shook his head and got up from the piano, handing the girl a small glass and a bottle of the least expensive whiskey he kept in his inventory. "I guarantee this will get you more presents."

"Even better!" She flashed him a toothy grin and poured out a glass.

"Really, Lucifer?" Chloe sighed, exasperated, but not exactly surprised.

He shrugged, "What? It's bottom shelf."

She sighed and handed the presents to both of them, "PJ time, you two."

"Pajamas?" Lucifer scoffed, "Why on Earth?"

"It's tradition." Chloe continued, under her breath, "Trust me, you'll want them."

Trixie tore open her box and shrieked with pure bliss, "NASA onesie!"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" Lucifer looked up through his lashes, holding a pair of cotton Grinch sleep pants and a lime green t-shirt that said _Mr. Grinch_.

Chloe just laughed, "Alright Trixie, you go change and I'll tuck you in in a sec, okay?" When she ran off to her room, she turned to Lucifer and smiled, wrapping her arms around his middle, "I'm not wearing that dental floss you bought me, but come on. Let's go change." She grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom, dying to see him in his new pajamas.

It was even better than she'd expected, once he lost the chip on his shoulder and ditched the devil horns. He really could look drop dead sexy in anything. She had changed into the Cindy Lou Who pj's she'd bought herself and joined him where he stood by the fire in the living room. He handed her one of the cookies from Trixie's offering to Santa and was chuckling at the note. "Lucifer, you shouldn't read that."

"You know how you said you didn't want to get her everything she wanted?"

"You found a goat?"

"Hell no, but your kid's trying to make a deal here. _Dear Santa, I'll give it to you straight, Claus. I want to ask a favor. I know I still owe you for the last one, but I'm 10 now and let's be honest, I deserve this._ What was the last one and why does she sound like a Soprano?" Chloe just laughed and he continued, " _I do want an All American Doll, but that's just for practice. What I want from you is to get me a baby brother or sister._ I don't think she knows how that works."

Chloe's eyes were a little wide, "That's fine. She doesn't need to know details."

" _I've replaced the whiskey that Mom's boyfriend told me to put out for you with 18 year old scotch to help persuade you._ She really did too. I think she switched the bottles. Clever little miscreant. _Do this for me and I'll get Maze to put out Pot Brownies next Christmas Eve._ _Safe Travels, Trixie_. Did you know you raised a mob boss?"

Her mother shook her head, "Oh Trixie. At least now we know she'll be okay with it. I may have to have a little talk with her about bribery, however. And drugs. That came up sooner than I thought."

Lucifer smiled and put the napkin up on the mantel, pulling her close to slow dance to the soft music, "Does that mean we tell her tomorrow?"

Chloe shook her head, "I know you're optimistic about it all, but just in case anything happens, I'd rather not have her remember Christmas as the day she found out her mom was pregnant with Rosemary's baby…"

He put a hand in her hair and kissed the top of her head, sighing. No matter what he said, she'd still be worried and that only made him feel all the worse. "It's going to be okay, Chloe. I'm not going to start lying to you now."

"I know," she nuzzled into his chest and and swayed along with him, "Merry Christmas, Lucifer."

He laughed, "Not something I thought I'd ever hear and not feel like throwing whoever said it out the window."

* * *

Trixie had woken up the couple by jumping on their bed in her NASA space suit onesie at 6am sharp. Lucifer growled, partly at the early hour and partly because Chloe was right about the necessity of the pajamas. Chloe yawned, "Merry Christmas, Miss President. Why don't you go see if there's a note back from Santa and give us a few minutes, okay?" When she scurried out, she kissed the man on his cheek, "Welcome to parenthood, Lucifer."

"My child will not be a morning person," he mumbled.

"Everyone's a morning person on Christmas."

"Not the Devil."

By seven o'clock, it looked like the All American Doll store in Times Square had moved to the penthouse of Lux. Trixie had promptly named her dark haired, tanned skin doll Magagsy after her other favorite demon from Maze's stories about Hell. She loved the pink corvette, the baking set, the rather dominatrix looking leather doll clothes from Maze, and the rockstar set complete with a pink electric guitar just like hers. Linda had slipped in a few packages worth of space themed outfits, as well as several famous women in history sets from Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg just to name a few, and Ella had found a laboratory complete with a tiny chemistry set. She was thrilled and, much to Chloe's relief, gracious.

Now, Chloe was lounging on the chaise of the couch, admittedly trying to just let a wave of nausea pass. She was focusing on the bracelet from Lucifer through misty eyes, smiling as she played with the shiny platinum charms. There were three, including Trixie's Alexandrite birthstone, an anchor with her lime green peridot birthstone on one side of the cross section and a shiny black onyx on the other, and a ruby, July's birthstone. She tried not to think about how expensive it was, but it was the beautifully handwritten note that came with it that made it all the more valuable.

 _My Dearest Detective,_

 _You know better than anyone that innuendos and double entendres come easier to me than genuine words of love and romance. But for millennia, I thought I was incapable of feeling either. You are the miracle that has happily domesticated the Devil, made me realize the joy of staying in to cuddle on the couch, playing a cheesy board game with a small human, and even have fun at Christmas. You keep me grounded, sane, and blissfully at peace in a world my father has tried so desperately to keep me from enjoying. More than anyone, you have helped me prove to myself that I am not my past, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us. Thank you for being my anchor and the foundation of this unexpected family I have found with you, your beautiful offspring, and our amazing child together._

 _I love you, Chloe._

 _Lucifer_

Lost in thought, she didn't realize he had set one of the stockings from the fireplace on her lap until Trixie started giggling. "Come on, Mom! He wants us to open them together."

"What?" she asked, wiping a tear from her cheek and trying to focus.

Lucifer looked a bit out of place, but somehow so natural in his Grinch pajamas, beaming at them. "I want you to open your stockings together. Now, I did my research, thank you Pinterest, and found out the stocking presents are supposed to be the cheapy stuff, but as you know, I'm _not_ cheap, Detective. So these are more symbolic gifts, if you will."

Chloe smiled, "You researched for Christmas?"

"First one I'm not avoiding," he shrugged. "Come on, dig in."

The mother and daughter looked at each other and started unwrapping the contents, growing more and more confused with each piece. "Paint chips, Lucifer?" Trixie held up a pile and fanned them out to see all the pinks, purples, blues and greens. Her graciousness was definitely being tested. "Mom, I think he lost it."

Chloe was slowly unwrapping a clip of fabric swatches. The hamster jumped on the wheel in her mind. "Lucifer? Is this…?"

He nodded, "I just want the two of you to feel at home here. You decorate your room however you want," he raised an eyebrow at Trixie's first choice of a rather bright neon purple, but was a Devil of his word regardless. "Move in with me, Chloe?" he asked, voice thick with nerves.

Chloe was already in tears as she ran over to him by the Christmas trees and grabbed his cheeks, pulling him down to plant a kiss on his lips for her answer, "For the record, I wouldn't change anything. Except maybe the bathroom," she winked. Turning around, they both looked at Trixie for hers.

"You mean live in a skyscraper with a pool and tennis courts and make all my friends jealous?" She rubbed her hands together a little menacingly, "Yes please."

Lucifer wrapped his arms around Chloe from behind and gave the woman's daughter a devilish grin, "I think this could work."

* * *

 _Everyone still out there? Woo, sorry! Like I said, it was a long chapter, but I wanted to pack in a lot just in case life gets too hectic and I don't get to update right away next weekend._

 _I hope you liked it! Please let me know what you thought and thanks again for all the love!_


	6. The Wing Sitch

_First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. I cannot tell you how worried I was to post chapter 5 because I was afraid it was too fluffy. BUT, you know what? I love fluff and I'll be putting Lucifer and Chloe through some stuff later, so why not give them some fluff? They deserve it! You guys are amazing and Lucifans are by far the nicest, most supportive fandom out there. So thank you. :)_

 _I left you another long, long chapter this week as it sounds like my next couple weekends will be quite full, so I hope this tides you over for a bit. Happy reading! Be gentle. ;)_

 _PS: In honor of next weekend's holiday, I've hidden a couple Easter eggs for you. Enjoy._

 _*Fluff Alert* :P_

Chapter 6

Chloe sat, idly spinning the charms of her bracelet and staring at Chelsea's case board where it had been pushed to the corner of Ella's lab. The perky forensic scientist was dancing about from counter to table, cataloguing the rather risque evidence for a new case, her music playing in her earbuds just loud enough to sound like a fly buzzing around the room, piercing the exact frequency to truly kill the detective's already pounding head.

Rubbing her temples, she sighed. Her eyes kept wandering back to the picture Dan had found on Wobble of Mitch Adamson and Judy May with the engagement ring. She had done some more digging on her ex's fake account and found the timestamp for the picture, putting the engagement at seven years ago. They'd only made their relationship Wobble Official two months before that.

 _Should Lucifer and I be Wobble official?_ she wondered, rolling her eyes at herself and squinting to focus back on the board. _Speak of the...well him_ , she smiled at her own corny joke, but the fact that he was holding a tray of coffees and looking oh so sexy in that black suit with the tight pants didn't hurt either.

"You're a lifesaver," she beamed, reaching up for a coffee.

"Your usual, Detective," he quickly turned his hand and made it very obvious which cup she was to take, lowering his voice, "in decaf."

"Make that a pain in the ass…"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes going from her mildly annoyed glare down to her conveniently ruffled blouse and back up, a small smile playing at his lips, "I'm just going by the book. How are you feeling?" he asked, but turned around to make sure Ella wasn't looking to get too suspicious and was a bit taken aback by the contents of her table. "Did Maze's sock drawer blow up in here?"

"There was a murder at The Lick-Her Store," Chloe laughed despite herself, shaking her head and trying to act solom.

Lucifer was not making that an easy task, having taken interest in quite the large black dildo. Ella still distracted, he picked it up leaving Chloe in a fit of giggles. "Now I grant you, I may be gifted, but this is just unrealistic. I can't even fit both hands around this thi-"

"Lucifer!" Ella ripped out her earbuds and grabbed it from him, her hands in rubber gloves. "I'm not done fingerprinting all these."

"Ooh, handsy are we?" he winked. "I'm sorry Miss Lopez, I was just trying to show the Detective here some proper technique for-"

"Okay, you're done. Step away from the dildos, Lucifer." Chloe blushed, but walked over to join them and passed the woman her coffee from the tray he'd sat down. "Ella, what do you know about the edges on ice skates? Like how crucial is it to have the two edges?"

Ella shrugged, focused mainly on writing down every detail of a bright purple love egg. "I never really did much skating myself, but I read about it almost constantly for years when I was a kid. There's a few diagrams in this one book I remember where it showed which edge you're supposed to land on for which jump, and if you're supposed to be on your inside edge or outside edge for different footwork sequences."

"So the way Chelsea's skates were sharpened to a point would have made a difference."

"A huge difference," Ella turned on the egg, the vibrations making a racket on the table and causing both Lucifer and Chloe to try and hold back laughter as she wrote _batteries strong_. "If I had to guess, I'm thinking it would be like going from roller skates with the four wheels stacked two and two, to roller blades with all four in line. Both are totally possible to skate on, but if you're used to doing tricks and stuff on one set and suddenly find yourself on the other, your balance is going to be way off."

The detective nodded, taking a sip of her completely useless, yet delicious coffee. "That's what I thought."

Just then, Dan walked in, also turning into a thirteen year old boy at sight of the toys on the table. "Did someone screw their own brains out?" When he didn't get the laugh he was expecting, he tried again, "Death by dildo?"

"There's nothing funny about this, Daniel." Lucifer stood up straight, appearing austere, but snuck a string of anal beads from the table and draped them across the man's shoulder, effectively losing it when Dan flinched and shooed them off like a spider was crawling up his back.

"Boys!" Ella snapped, "I'm sorry, but if you can't handle being around the uh...personal massagers...then I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Even if you did bring me coffee."

Chloe also joined in on looking guilty. "Ella I am so sorry about these two," she tried to hide a grin behind her coffee cup but failed.

"Sorry Ella." Dan tried to look genuine, but the phrase 'personal massagers' seemed to trigger a twitch in the corner of his mouth. "Chloe, I just found something on Mitch and Judy I thought you might find interesting," he handed her a folder. "They were married in Vegas a month after that picture was taken. Divorced about three years ago, right around the same time that he and Chelsea made it official that they were together."

"Seems like motive to me," Lucifer's eyebrow raised. "Seeing the person you love going off to marry someone else...not the best of feelings. Easy to want to see to it that the other person goes away." He stopped, realizing that everyone was looking at him and that Chloe's eyes were particularly sad. Concerned. "I would imagine anyway."

"Were you able to confirm May's alibi with the garage footage?" Dan asked, steering the conversation back on course.

Chloe shrugged, "Kind of? Her car wasn't seen leaving the parking garage until after nine, but she doesn't have anyone specifically putting her at her apartment. There wasn't anything at the crime scene to put her there either..."

"Awww! It's a baby!" Ella's face lit up.

Both Chloe and Lucifer looked at her like deer caught in the headlights. "What?" Chloe almost choked on her coffee, but noticing Dan's rather confused expression at her, quickly changed it to, "Where?"

"It's Fitzpatrick's little girl," Dan filled in. "I ran into them in the elevator. Her sitter fell through so she had to bring her here until her mom can pick her up after her shift at the library. Cute kid. Made me miss when Trixie was that little."

The detective had turned around to see the adorable little baby, trying as hard as she could to not grin wildly at Lucifer. She did risk a glance however and noticed he looked like he was trying just as hard to look as excited as everyone else. It wasn't working too well. _Don't panic, Decker. He's just not comfortable around other people's kids. It's gonna be fine._ "What a cutie!" she cooed through the window. "Remember how cuddly Trixie was at that age?"

"They're coming this way. I wanna hold her!" Ella took off her gloves and grabbed the hand sanitizer, but panicked when she remembered what was on the table. "Oh no, the Lieutenant can't bring her in here. She can't see these!"

"She won't know what they are, Miss Lopez, it's quite alright." Lucifer chuckled, "If anything she may want to gnaw on one. Have you got anything in say…prepubescent?" Chloe very quickly elbowed the man in the ribs as the new Lieutenant walked in, her little girl cooing from her arms and looking rather entertained by everything in her new surroundings.

"Detective Espinosa, I do believe we've already met," the tall redhead smiled and nodded, moving the baby to her left hip and reaching her right hand out to him. "Sorry to give you the full rundown of my morning at our first meeting, but thanks for the understanding elevator ride."

"Of course, Lieutenant Fitzpatrick," he smiled, shaking her hand and gently moving on to the tiny hand belonging to the grinning little girl, "And who might you be, ma'am?"

Fitzpatrick beamed, "Say I'm Neveah!"

Chloe caught Lucifer almost audibly rolling his eyes, but was proud of him for staying discreet enough to not come off as completely rude.

"As for you three," the woman smiled, reaching a hand out to each, "allow me to introduce myself. I'm Miranda Fitzpatrick, but please feel free to call me Fitz. Everyone does. I was the supervising Lieutenant in homicide up in Seattle for six years, but when this little one popped up, I moved back to be close to my parents...and the sunshine. I was so relieved that LAPD would hire me so soon after maternity leave, but I'm a single mom, so you may be seeing my little sidekick around now and then. Who seems to be taking quite the interest in Detective Decker." She laughed, moving closer to the other mom, "Want to relive the happy baby stage?"

Chloe laughed a little nervously, but held her arms out, expertly and gracefully receiving the squirmy little thing. As soon as Neveah was in her arms, she started cooing and nuzzled into the blonde's silky white shirt. The detective beamed, "Oh you _are_ a happy baby, aren't you?" She couldn't help it and smiled up at Lucifer who was very clearly enjoying the show, but trying to act like he didn't care.

Dan patted the man on the back and smirked, "Shouldn't have let her hold a baby, man. That's your problem now."

Lucifer just gave a short laugh, rolled his eyes, and shook his head for show. There was a delicate balance to be maintained between looking aloof and the awe he felt at it all. He found it especially interesting how the little girl's foot had pulled Chloe's shirt up just enough to uncover the hair tie she'd rigged to button the pants. It had been two and a half weeks since he'd learned his lesson in not telling her that it wasn't a definite baby bump to the odd passerby yet. By now it was a tad more obvious, but one really had to be paying attention.

Unaware of anything showing, Chloe reluctantly handed her back to her mom, "We try to keep it pretty kid friendly around here. I've had to bring mine in more than once."

"Espinosa was telling me about Trixie. I can't wait to meet her!" She then realized what was on the table, her eyes growing momentarily wide before stuttering on, "And I've been reading up on everyone in the precinct and I'm excited to be working with you guys. I've heard all wonderful things. Especially about you and Mr. Morningstar over here."

Lucifer puffed out his chest, a devilishly smug smile on his face, "The Detective and I do make a good team."

"We do," she subtly patted him on the arm, giving him a reassuring smile. "We've been known to handle a lot."

"What else can you ask for in a partner?" Fitz nodded and turned her attention to the other woman in the room, "And Ella Lopez. I've been following this woman's forensic reports since her time in Detroit. Did you know she could write so beautifully that her case reports sound like short stories?"

"Oh, thank you ma'am," Ella replied, noticeably flattered. "Just out of curiosity though, in this report is there a particular way you would like me to refer to these um….items. For precinct reputation and all?"

Fitz laughed, "Just call them what they are, Ms. Lopez. I'm sure you'll make it sound more elegant than it is." She turned around and looked at Chloe, "Detective, can we have a word outside quick?" Lucifer found himself grimacing, thinking she must have noticed the hair tie as well and was more than a little shocked when the Lieutenant passed the baby to him, "We'll be right back. You don't mind do you?"

"Uh…" he stammered, holding the small human carefully, but away from himself. Before he could give a real response, the two women were just outside the door conversing. "Uh...h-hello small….person."

"I call dibs next," Ella whined, but came over to play with her, even if it was from the side lines.

Dan very carefully helped nudge the baby closer to Lucifer's chest, "She won't bite. Yet."

From outside the lab, Chloe could see the scene in her peripheral vision, her heart fluttering at the fact that Lucifer was holding a baby. He looked a little scared, more than a bit intimidated, but not miserable.

"Decker? Did you hear anything I just said?"

"What?" She blinked, refocusing, "Lieutenant I am so sorry. I was in another world there. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Chelsea Adamson's case. The ice skater's suicide? It should have been an open and shut case and it's been your soul focus for a month now. Some other people on your team have had to adjust their workload, so I'm asking you to shut it down."

"With all due respect, Ma'am, I don't think it was suicide. Granted most of what we have is circumstantial, but I really do feel like I'm right on the edge of figuring this one out." She was so frustrated, she was on the verge of tears, "I can't just give up on Chelsea like that."

Fitz gave an understanding nod, "Detective, I'm sorry. Did you know the victim?"

Chloe shook her head, "There's just been a couple things with the case that hit a little close to home. I just...I need more time."

"48 hours. After that, I want this investigation dropped since everything points to suicide and I'll be moving you to a new case. Probably the….what are we calling him? Assbead Assassin?"

The Detective smirked again, despite the ultimatum. "I'll do my best, Boss."

Still mostly smiling, the ladies re-entered the lab to find Lucifer gently, but awkwardly bopping up and down, the little girl's back against his chest, her tiny hands fascinated by the Devil's nose. He had a rather pleading, nervous look on his face. "I think she may have had a little um...leakage...if you'd like her back, Lieutenant."

"You don't want to practice your diaper skills, Lucifer?" Fitz chuckled, grabbing Neveah.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow at Chloe as if to ask if that's what the conversation had been about. She very subtly shook her head. "No no no no, Lieutenant. That's an honor I'll save for another day, thank you."

* * *

"So am I showing or…?" Chloe asked, getting into Lucifer's black Corvette around lunch time.

The car's owner raised an eyebrow, trying not to fall into this trap again, "Detective."

"Free pass, Lucifer. I won't get mad."

"Famous last words," he chuckled, backing out of his spot and zipping out of the parking garage.

"Shut up, I just want to know why you assumed my conversation with the Lieutenant was about me being pregnant. How would she know unless I'm showing?"

He glanced over at the radiant detective once they were on the road, her blue eyes squinting at him the way they always did when he wasn't giving her the information she wanted. "Yes, Chloe. A bit. But the Lieutenant's child pulled your shirt up with her foot and exposed your little button extender rig you've got going on down there."

"Shit."

"Again, you _almost_ officially live with one of the premier LA club owners," he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a credit card. "And seeing that it's his fault your pants aren't fitting, he should be the one responsible for the new wardrobe."

Chloe just rolled her eyes at the card and pushed his hand back. "Put it away, Lucifer."

"Sounds like this morning."

After twenty minutes of driving along the coast, Chloe's brow furrowed. "Where exactly was this place you wanted to take me for lunch?"

"Bit farther up the coast. Impatient today?"

"Hungry. Pissed off."

He looked hurt, "You said free pass."

"Not at you. At that Fitz. She informed me I only have 48 hours to solve Chelsea's murder now, so can we make this quick? I want to get back so I can read through her file again."

"I promise we'll get back to working on the case momentarily." Lucifer reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze and noticing the same small questioning smile she'd worn every time he did that recently. "What else is going on in that head of yours?"

"It's nothing…" she sighed, rubbing his knuckles with her thumb. She started laughing to herself, "So Nevaeh is a definite no for a girl, I take it?"

"The heavenly names are a bit stripperesque, don't you think? With the Devil as a father, there's no use tempting predetermination."

"Is _Lucifer Morningstar_ of all people going through that phase where dads start seeing women as someone's daughter? What will happen to Lux? What will happen to LA? To Vegas?!"

"Your acting has slipped a bit since _Hot Tub High School_. You're really enjoying this aren't you?"

"I am, yes." Chloe nodded. "But I get it. I had a co star named Angel and she was anything but." She looked around as Lucifer pulled over and parked the car on the ocean side of the road. "Uh...where are we? You said we were doing lunch."

Lucifer got out and grabbed a picnic basket from the trunk, a big cheesy grin on his face. "Up for a romantic picnic, Detective?"

Chloe got out of the car and carefully looked over the ledge, pulling her jacket a little tighter around herself. "Lucifer…" She cocked her head at him, "you think maybe we should find a spot that has like...stairs or...a way to get down there?"

"You're still having issues with the wing sitch, aren't you? They do serve as more than a hand hold for great sex." He looked around to make sure no one was coming down the road, handed Chloe the basket, and shook out his wings. "Come here." He held his arms out for her, but she still needed coaxing. Instead, he went to her, shifted the basket to her side, and picked her up by the bum, wrapping her legs around his hips. "This is different with clothes on," he took a deep breath, noticing his pants getting a bit tighter. "Trust me?"

She pursed her lips, obviously anxious, but nodded ever so slightly.

"Hold on tight," he winked, squeezing her to him and taking off. Chloe squealed with delight over his shoulder, her arms around his neck. He couldn't help but join in on her giddy laughter when they landed. "Okay?"

"We need to do that more often," she grinned, standing on tiptoes to kiss him quick before turning around to take in her surroundings.

He smiled, watching her reaction, and put his wings away "What do you think?"

They were roughly a hundred feet down from the road on a tiny beach, completely secluded from the outside world. On one side was the ocean, gently rolling up onto the shore, the cool breeze playing with her hair. On the other was a cave the size of a small room. Unlike all the other little alcoves and bridges in the city, this one looked like it had never been touched. No graffitti, no garbage. Just rocks, shimmering in the sunlight. "How did you find this?"

Lucifer shrugged, "Flying around one night when I couldn't sleep." He walked into the cave and spread the blanket out, digging into the basket to set up their lunch. "Now your spawn helped me this morning so we have PB&J or PB&J. I'll plan better next time."

She laughed, grabbing a sandwich and peaking in the box as she sat down, "Did you raid Dan's pudding again?"

"I did not, no. But," he reached into his jacket and pulled out a yellow file, "I did raid your Chelsea Adamson file. I thought a relaxing setting might help for a breakthrough. Cleared it with Fitz. Said we'd be investigating the rest of the day. I mean we are, technically, but stress isn't exactly a good idea for you right now." He put the file down between them on the blanket and leaned back on his elbow. Chloe tried to blink back the tears in her eyes, but failed miserably. Lucifer's face fell, sitting up and reaching to put the file back. "I was just trying to help-"

"No," she put a hand on his arm, "it's perfect. I'm sorry, I…" she wiped away her tears, "I can't help the water works at the moment. Really, Lucifer. I think this will help. Thank you."

He looked beyond relieved, laying back down and unwrapping his sandwich. "Right, okay! Well then, we're both under the impression that it was Dr. Bitchypants, the former Mrs. Adamson, correct?"

Chloe nodded, "We need solid proof though. Everything we have now is circumstantial."

By the time they'd spent an hour running down every single detail of the case, another hour talking through theories, and half an hour bouncing ideas off of one another on how to catch May, Lucifer had draped his jacket over Chloe's shoulders and they'd moved over to lean against the side of the cave. They were still pouring over the contents of the file in their laps, but Chloe's head had managed to end up on Lucifer's shoulder and his was resting comfortably on top of hers.

The Devil took a deep breath, losing himself in the intoxicating blend of her natural scent and lilac shampoo. He couldn't resist and caressed her cheek, maneuvering her face so that his lips could meet hers. "I think you need a break, Detective."

She smiled against his lips, "Oh you do, huh?"

He nodded, weaving his fingers in her hair and deepening the kiss, the flavor of her even more intoxicating than her scent. His heart pounded in his chest as he carefully moved everything off their laps, returning to her lips as if he was drowning and she was his oxygen.

Chloe's own breathing grew ragged and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Lucifer's deliciously strong tongue danced with hers as she felt his warm hand wander up her shirt and gently cup her breast. It was tender, but as his thumb started circling her nipple, the pleasure outweighed the pain. "These are bigger," he grinned.

"They are not," she rolled her eyes, letting her own hand wander down past his torso, finding the bulge already pressed against the button of his trousers.

Lucifer's hand went lower, fumbling with the hair tie. Chloe was absentmindedly grinding her hips toward him, driving him wild and causing him to rush, getting his fingers tangled in the elastic. She noticed and chuckled, "Do you need help, Mr. Smooth?"

He pulled away, shaking his head, "I can unhook your bra with a look. I won't be outsmarted by a rubber band."

She didn't make it easy for him, her hand still on his pants and teasing with a gentle, slow rub. When he finally broke through the tie, his hand lingered on the very small bump between Chloe's hips as they locked eyes, their foreheads meeting and noses rubbing in their little intimate eskimo kiss.

The small loving smile turned into his lopsided lustful grin as his hand traveled back down, slipping under the elastic of her pink lace panties. His two middle fingers massaged circles on her clit as he watched her bite her lip. When she started moaning, his pants grew even tighter, his cock jabbing on the zipper. Her hand was right there, rubbing harder, the faster he went but she wasn't making the move to relieve him of his discomfort.

"Luc….cifer…" she panted, putting a hand on his arm.

"You're not going to throw up again, are you?" He shifted uncomfortably, trying to relieve the pressure himself, not slowing down on her.

She shook her head, her eyes rolling back into her skull. "We're...outside."

"Technically in a cave, dear," he laughed against her neck, his hot breath spreading goosebumps all the way down to her thighs.

"We can't do this h...here, oh G-Lucifer!" his fingers slipped slowly inside and were hitting just the right spots, her muscles tightening to grip him, his discomfort growing stronger.

"Come, Chloe, where do you think the cave _children_ came from?" he carefully laid her down on the blanket he'd spread out for them and started pulling down her jeans with his other hand. He kissed where the denim had been, never missing a beat with his fingers as she arched her back impatiently, pulling at his hair.

Right as he was finally unzipping his own pants, his phone went off. He quickly grabbed it from the pocket in his vest and ignored the call, not looking at who it was. He had more important things to do, for starters trying to get Chloe's heeled boots off with one hand. Easier said than done as he'd yanked her pants over them and his tongue now licked slow circles, steadily higher and higher up her thigh. Giving up on the boots, he pinned her down with his arm as she squirmed, trying to coerce his mouth to join his quick fingers. "Patience, love," his sexy chuckle tickled her already swollen, sensitive lips.

" _Nnngmph_ ," she moaned, gripping at the blanket, her thighs squeezing into Lucifer's ears. "Not….fair…"

He moved his arm to her thigh, shifting it just enough so that he could hear the sexy little noises she was making. The noises that sent electric shocks up his spine like nothing else he'd ever heard before in the millennia he'd been enjoying this particular activity. The ones that only intensified when he very slowly licked around his fingers and up to her pelvic bone, flicking his tongue where his thumb had just been playing in her folds.

Right as he'd replaced his fingers with his whole tongue, his phone went off again. He growled, flipping it over to quiet it again before going back to work. Chloe's hands had moved down to his head, her nails scraping softly on his scalp and sending shivers down his neck. She was pulling him in harder and harder into herself, bucking against his tongue. Her moans were getting lower, her skin hot and electric under his nose.

He gave her one last kiss on her bud before sliding out from between her legs, both hands finally free to carefully yank her pants from her boots. Lifting her leg, he settled himself carefully between her hips and started rubbing the same area with his cock.

Chloe pouted impatiently, but reached up to grab his collar, fully enjoying just how ruffled up and disheveled he looked now. Her limbs already felt like jelly, hot and tingly. But she wanted more. She moaned, raising her hips to try and persuade him to just take her. To stop teasing her. The anticipation was killing her.

And then his phone rang yet again. "Just let it ring, Lucifer." Chloe grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down to kiss him hungrily, reaching down to grip his shaft, squirming herself into place.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed, "I'm loving this assertiveness, Chloe. Is it the hormones?"

"Shut up, Lucifer. You started this." She whispered, wrapping her boot clad feet around his back and grinding her hips into his, slowly taking him herself. Not one to let her have all the fun, he thrust in hard, his eyes rolling into the back of his skull as her nails dug where his scars once were. The deeper he went, the harder she scratched.

Until his phone went off yet again, this time playing the ringtone for Facetime. "Do _not_ answer that one," Chloe begged, her head digging into Lucifer's cradling hand.

He reached for his phone with the other hand, fully intending to throw it against the cave wall, but saw the screen. "I'm afraid it's your little cockblock." He sighed, stopping his thrusts with tremendous effort.

Chloe's eyes grew wide, "Oh shit, what time is it? I forgot my phone in the car." She grabbed Lucifer's wrist and looked at his watch, "Shit! Get dressed." She pushed him off, biting her lip at the exquisite pressure as he pulled out, and looked down at herself to see if she could pass for decent. Deciding she should be fine from the waist up, she answered a little breathlessly, "Trixie! Baby I am so sorry, we lost track of time."

Trixie's picture on the screen looked sceptical, "Why is your hair so crazy, Mom?" Lucifer chuckled off camera, carefully pulling up his pants and packing up the basket.

"We were doing some beach investigating at the beach. Beach hair, you know."

"Uh huh. Well I tried calling you like five times. Are you going to come get me? Mrs. Parker wants to go home _sometime_ tonight."

"Yes Monkey, we'll be there as soon as we possibly can. Tell Mrs. Parker I am so sorry and you think of a way we can make this up to you tonight, okay?" Lucifer pulled out his wallet mid shirt buttoning and checked his stash of hundreds, fanning out three of them to Chloe. She glared at him and shook her head. "I love you so much, Trixie. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I have a few ideas," the little girl disconnected and Chloe wrestled her pants back on before putting Chelsea's file back together. Before she knew it, they were in the Corvette, both feeling more than a little unfinished with their business.

* * *

Lucifer sat at the bar in Lux, slowly swirling what was left of his bourbon. He'd come down to unwind from his end of the bargain with the Brat, which just so happened to be helping her with her French homework. He had tried to get out of it by reminding her he couldn't read or write in _all_ the languages he knew, but the urchin made the point that it needed to be in her handwriting anyway. The last hour had been spent translating sentences about a boy named Pierre, a girl named Margot, and their lost dog who just so happened to be named Lucien. Of course, to finish off the lesson, he may or may not have taught his small partner in crime a few choice French curse words.

He smirked to himself as he ran a thumb around the edge of the glass, thinking of her pronunciation of _merde_. He was just about to down the rest of his drink and head upstairs when a familiar face sat down next to him. "Why the scowl, my Demon friend? Getting sent off to chase another bounty in Ohio, or wherever it was?"

"I just heard some interesting gossip," she grabbed a bottle from the well and poured herself a drink, slamming the first one before pouring a second.

"Clearly."

"Exactly how long did you think you could hide it, Lucifer?" She glared at him, her usual intense self.

The Devil raised an eyebrow, taking a sip, "You'll have to be more transparent than that, Maze. What am I supposedly hiding, exactly?"

"You somehow knocked up your little human pet," she sneered, trying to cover up an ambivalent smirk.

Lucifer tried to hide his shock, but his infernal companion knew him far too well, and he knew it. His mouth suddenly felt very fuzzy, but he still managed to match her intensity, "Where did you hear that?"

"Does it matter?"

Finishing off his drink, he took the bottle from Maze and poured himself another in an attempt to cool down, "First and foremost, she's also your friend, so don't call Chloe my human pet. Secondly, she doesn't exactly want anyone to know yet, so I'm curious, yes."

"A little birdie told me," she squinted. "So the King of Hell is just going to stick around and play happy family with his humans from now on, is that it?"

"We've settled this a long time ago, Mazikeen. I'm not going back to Hell and I thought you'd grown to accept that as well. What about the bounty business? Your friends here? Now that you've made up with the Detective's child, you want to abandon her too?"

"A _baby_ , Lucifer? A screaming, oozing, pooping, puking, slobbering _baby_?" The woman rolled her eyes and finished her drink. Noticing the slightly dazed look on her friend's face, she started laughing, "And here you keep saying you don't want to go back to Hell. HA!"

Lucifer took a deep, shaky breath, his heart in his throat thinking of how uncomfortable he was with the new Lieutenant's child that morning. "It's not like this was planned."

"Who _chooses_ to procreate?" she grimaced. "Look, I'll play auntie, or whatever you want me to be, but I'm not changing diapers or getting left alone with it until it's Trixie's age. However this happened that your swimmers mixed with a human, it's on you two. I just hope Decker's strong enough to carry the Devil's spawn. What _will_ that look like when it comes out, exactly?" Obviously not noticing the man's apprehensive face growing pale, she patted him on the back and was gone.

His stomach sank as he let himself truly think about it all like Chloe had asked him to do weeks before. He squeezed his eyes shut, and only noticed how tightly he was gripping the glass when it cracked. A small piece stuck in his hand, but the Detective was far enough upstairs that it only left a papercut sized slice and a small trickle of blood. The mildness of the wound suddenly made him feel too far away as he could feel his pulse thudding in his ears. Casually ducking several scantily clad women, he made his way to the elevator and up to the penthouse.

He was admittedly shaken, but something really was wrong. As the elevator car was leveling at the top, he could hear a woman screaming. In a panic, he jabbed at the button to open the doors but it still took ages. She sounded like she was in agony. "Chloe!"

As the doors finally opened, both her's and Trixie's heads turned toward him from the couch. "Hey Lucifer!" Trixie waved.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, but far more relieved, he sighed and quickly tried to collect himself, walking over to the couch and putting an arm around Chloe as he sat down. They were both under a blanket on the chaise, watching TV. "What _are_ you watching?" he raised an eyebrow, cringing at the sounds the woman on the screen was making.

Chloe snuggled her back into his torso, the little girl shifting to lean against her mom, holding Magagsy in her lap. " _Call the Midwife_ ," she whispered. "Ella suggested it. Said it's one of her favorites."

"She is a strange one, isn't she," he chuckled. "Wait, who _is_ that? She looks familiar."

"Chummy?" Chloe smiled, "She's been in a bunch of British stuff, I'm sure you've seen her before." Lucifer raised an eyebrow at her, an amused smirk on his face. "Right. I forget the accent is just to pick up chicks."

"Did it work?"

She shrugged, her eyes sparkling in fun, "It helped."

"Lovely." He kissed her hair and rested his head on hers, that same intoxicating scent he couldn't get enough of earlier in the day helping to calm him down far better than any bottle could. She moved the blanket to cover his lap as well and they watched as the exhausted looking woman on the screen gave one more scream and the woman named Chummy handed her a very slimy baby.

Chloe noticed the arm around her getting a little tighter and reached up to squeeze his hand, kissing his knuckles.

"Are you sure this is suitable viewing for the spawn, Detective?"

"I've seen worse," Trixie piped up, offering up a bag of Twizzlers.

"You _did_ live with Maze," he chuckled, reaching around to grab a piece of candy. "Does this mean she knows?" he whispered in Chloe's ear.

She squeezed his hand harder, shaking her head and essentially telling him to be quiet for the rest of the episode. Trixie begged to stay up for one more, but ended up falling asleep halfway through. "I think we should get a dog," her mother whispered.

"Beg pardon?" Lucifer flinched.

She laughed, "I just wanted to make sure she was out."

"Ah."

"Ella's been begging me to watch this forever, but I figured it might be a good way to get Trixie used to the idea before we spring it on her."

He nodded, rubbing her arm, "Soon?"

"We're at twelve weeks," her voice sounded small. She sighed, "I _am_ going to have to give birth in a barn, aren't I?"

Lucifer's hand stopped, "What?" she pulled away, gently moving Trixie and getting up from the couch, heading toward the kitchen. "Chloe?" he followed her down the hall and stood just inside the door while she grabbed a water from the fridge. "What do you mean?"

Her gaze looked somehow distant but also like she was focused very hard on something inside. Lucifer had been noticing that look a lot lately. "I can't exactly have this baby in a hospital." Her eyes finally focused on his. She looked scared.

That look absolutely shattered Lucifer's heart. WHY did his emotions have to feel ten times stronger around her? He shook his head, shaking off Maze's earlier question, "I don't see why not? Chloe, what's going on? Talk to me. Please." He walked over and put a hand on her elbow, pushing the hair out of her eyes with the other. "What is it?"

She shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes as she opened her mouth several times, but no words came out. Her heart thudded in her chest as she stared at that beautifully concerned face above her. "What...what if…" she couldn't breathe. She didn't want to say it. Lucifer just caressed her cheek, waiting patiently as she swallowed down the lump in her throat. "What if it's...like...you? And...the doctor sees it's skin and…" Lucifer's brow furrowed, the sad look in his eyes growing darker into hurt.

He pulled his hands away from her, giving her space in case he lost all control. He could feel his face growing hot, his eyes burning. "How dare-"

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, realizing how much she'd hurt him, "but what would they think if they saw it like that? It wouldn't...it wouldn't be a baby anymore. It'd be an experiment. Or...or a front page tabloid or...something to…hunt down and….and…" Whatever control she had over her emotions was gone. Her shoulders shook and she felt like she was going to hyperventilate.

Lucifer clenched his fists and took another step back. He hated seeing her like this, but once again his world was crashing around his feet at her words. "No, I see," he huffed through his teeth. "It's a she until you start thinking it might be like me and now it's an 'it'."

"You _know_ that's not what I'm saying." Chloe shot back, snarling through the tears.

"You don't trust me." He grew quiet, menacing. "That's what this is. You don't trust me so you're...you're _scared_ of me. Of our…" Instead of everything turning red and vibrant like it usually did when he got so worked up, his vision grew blurry, his voice husky. "You're afraid of us. Me _and_ our child."

She scowled, "Don't you dare tell me I'm afraid of our baby, Lucifer. And I'm not afraid of you. I _do_ trust you. I trust you to not whip out your Devil face, but how is a brand new, fresh out of the womb baby going to know not to if it has one?" Her face steadily grew softer, sadder. "I don't care if it has red...scaly…bony...glowing skin-"

"And horns, and a tail, and all the bullshit from the movies?" he snapped, clutching the black granite on the island until it cracked, causing the woman to jump. "I wasn't _born_ with my Devil face, Chloe. That was a gift from dear old dad when he cast me down to Hell, alright? No…" he shook his head in disbelief, the pieces all coming together. "No, Chloe, you don't trust me. I told you everything would be okay. You know now, for a fact, that I don't lie to you. And now you've seen how...how awful and grotesque the other side of me is, so I…" his shoulders fell. "That's why you're dragging your feet to move in, isn't it? You've seen how inherently evil I am and now you're back-peddling."

Her eyes grew wide, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. "How the hell do you get that from me saying I have to have _our baby_ at _home_? You said this was the first time this has happened, so you...you can't know that everything's going to be alright. If it's not your devil face, what if it's...it's tiny wings or…" tears started rolling down her cheeks again, but she defiantly brushed them away, "or anything to give the doctors an excuse to take her away from us." She laced her fingers together on her bump protectively, now slightly more visible in her pajamas.

"Or a golden light…" he sighed, defeated. "But whose home, Chloe? Yours or mine? Trixie's been asking since Christmas when she can bring her stuff over, but she says you keep saying 'not today'."

"You asked me when emotions were high and in front of my kid. I couldn't exactly say no, could I?" She put a hand on her hip, trying to look stern when on the inside she just wanted to fall apart. "Where exactly do you _really_ see this going Lucifer? I'm not afraid of you, or the baby, but in this situation I'm more afraid of...of me." She took a shaky breath, wanting nothing more than to put a smile back on the man's grimacing face, but everything desperately needed to be said, no matter how much it broke her heart. "I make you vulnerable. Okay. And I make you fertile too," she shrugged. "But we don't know if I make you age. Or if we'll age at the same rate. What happens if someday I'm mistaken for your mother and people start thinking Trixie or the baby is your wife or...or sibling?"

"Chloe," Lucifer put his head down, knuckles white.

"Trixie liked Pierce, and it hurt her when he died and disappeared from her life, even after I explained to her what happened. But she adores you. Everything out of that little girl's mouth is Lucifer this and Lucifer that. What the hell kind of mother am I to let her get so close to someone that's just going to skip town and start over when her mother is looking too old for his reputation? It's going to absolutely break her heart, but what about _your_ _kid_? What's that going to do to him or her when dad packs up and leaves? Before I got pregnant I was trying not to think about it, because I knew it wouldn't last forever, but I only had myself to worry about and Trixie will always have Dan, but..."

"I'm not going anywhere," he looked up, every trace of anger gone, replaced by sorrow and looking like a man desperate to be understood. "Ever since my father threw me out of Heaven and forced me to take over Hell, doing things I never...ever want you to even think about, I've been wondering what was so horribly wrong with me. Why I deserved that. I let it get to me more than I can explain and _become_ what my dad put me in the position to be. But with you, I can go days without thinking of what I've done. I got you that cheesy bracelet to try to explain just how vital you are to my existence anymore, Chloe. You keep me tethered to my sanity and I don't care if you get old and wrinkly before I do. If I do. You're my Detective."

Chloe had tears streaming down her cheeks again, but thankfully this time they weren't angry. She went around the island and jumped up to sit on the counter to be face to face with the Devil, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Okay. But you are anything but evil, Lucifer. You only ever _punished_ evil. And I am _not_ afraid of your other face," she kissed his cheek and chuckled. "You pester me about taking prenatal vitamins in the morning. You can't be that bad."

Finally, he smiled at her, even if there was still a hint of sadness to it. "It's in the book," he shrugged. "I don't suppose there's a book on being a somewhat decent dad when you have the absolute definition of the worst father in the universe to look up to, is there?"

Chloe cocked her head, "Fitz's baby really freaked you out, didn't she?"

"She was just so…small and…fragile. I'm just not good with kids. At all."

"Says the guy that confronted a little girl's bully after only knowing her for a few minutes. Or the one that took a bullet to help me rescue her from that bastard Malcolm. Or the one that taught her fake swear words like any good father figure should," she playfully rolled her eyes.

"She may know some French ones now too. Sorry."

Chloe laughed, "How about this guy," she grabbed her phone from the counter and scrolled through her pictures, getting to a candid shot of Lucifer and Trixie on the couch, one of the _Star Wars_ movies on the TV. They were both in pajamas, a bowl almost the size of Trixie filled with popcorn on Lucifer's lap, his arm around her.

He laughed, "Is that our Prequel Roast? When did you take that?"

"When you weren't looking." She put her phone down and grabbed his cheeks with both hands, "You, Lucifer Morningstar, are way more human now that I know you're actually the Devil and let me play with your wings. You're not trying to convince me all the time that you're the bad guy, so this wonderful, doting dad has cracked through your Hugh Hefner facade." She sighed, "But. That being said. I _am_ scared. I'm scared of what our future holds, or how long I'll get to have you in my future. In…our future. And I'm still pregnant with the Devil's baby and we don't exactly know what that means. We need to seriously think this through."

He took a deep breath, his eyes weary, "Even with a fully human child there's so much risk. If anything happened to you…to either of you..."

Chloe shook her head, "I don't think we have much of a choice. Not if we want to keep her safe."

"At what expense, exactly? You?"

She smiled at him, running a comforting hand through his hair, "We'll find a midwife to pay off. From here on out, Lucifer, I am going to trust you when you say it'll be fine. Even if there aren't any medical records of celestial human hybrids, I…" she froze, brow furrowing into that same internal concentration from before.

"Chloe?"

"Chelsea…" she looked up at him, her lips slowly turning up into a smile. "Her medical records. They didn't match her autopsy...there was nothing there. And vitamins..."

"You've lost me, does this mean you're moving in or…?"

"Yes, fine. We can start this weekend, but Lucifer, I think I just figured out what happened to Chelsea. Can you put Trixie to bed? I need to call Ella and make sure I'm right about this."

"Right," he kissed her forehead, setting her down gently on the floor. "You know I'd marry you if you'd let me?"

"Yeah okay," Chloe smirked, rolling her eyes and bringing up Ella's number. "Make sure to put those noise canceling headphones on her. We have some unfinished business to take care of when I'm done here."

Lucifer stood at the door, watching Chloe in her excitement. "Whatever you say, Darling."

* * *

The civilian consultant could not help but laugh at how thoroughly and absolutely confused Daniel Espinoza looked after hearing Chloe's rundown of Chelsea's case, Judy May being dragged out of the interrogation room in cuffs to a holding cell.

"So it was a murder to look like a suicide to look like a murder?" He asked for the third time.

Chloe shook her head, "No. It was a suicide that was actually a murder to look like a suicide, and a piss poor attempt at a framing job."

Lucifer thought he saw smoke coming out of the man's ears. "It's simple really, Daniel. Dr. Judy May wanted Mitch Adamson back for herself and hated everything about Chad Ellingson since he'd inadvertently introduced him to his new wife."

"...Okay."

"We talked to Chad about how Mitch and Chelsea met." Chloe continued, "Evidently Chad needed some help with a loan and invited his buddy to the rink for a pickup game of hockey and he ran into Chelsea on the ice."

"Literally," Lucifer smirked.

"Literally. He felt horrible, bought her a hot chocolate, and they got to talking. He's big into charity work and was super impressed with her volunteering at soup kitchens and was fascinated by her life story, so one thing led to another and they ended up in a bit of an affair. Supposedly, it was nothing sexual until Mitch's divorce from Judy was final."

"Shame."

Chloe threw a quick death glare at the man. "Anyway, Judy got wind of what had happened to her marriage and completely resented her college friend but still loved her college sweetheart. It sounds like she tried to get Chelsea to leave Mitch in a few different ways, but this was definitely the most extreme and elaborate. When she got the job as the team's doctor, she replaced the vitamins Chelsea took every day with high doses of muscle relaxers that made her extremely weak. She then forged a spinal tap test for M.S., a disease that would essentially destroy everything about Chelsea's figure skating career."

"From there it was just a mental game for the poor young lady." Lucifer continued, "Several people we talked to said they often heard May taunting Chelsea about how her skating was getting worse and worse. I had a buddy of mine that owed me a favor, a big wig at Capital Records, take a look at the audio from the camcorder this morning and clean it up a bit more. It was Judy May's voice."

"She kept expecting Chelsea to kill herself," the detective picked up, "but she didn't realize that Mitch meant more to her than her figure skating career. So when she got too impatient, she took matters into her own hands and upped the dosage of the M.S. medication that has terrible side effects that mimic the disease if taken by someone without it, stole the skates and Chad's keys, ground the blades to a point, and sat back to watch. When she saw Chelsea falling over and over, our best guess is that she talked Chelsea out of living for Mitch and really drove it home for her just how painful the disease she supposedly had really would be to live with for the rest of her life."

Daniel nodded slowly, "So Chelsea really did commit suicide, but just in case it still looked like murder, it would be tied to Chad, not Judy."

"Exactly. And the test results from the autopsy show that Chelsea never had M.S. With everything we have, it was enough for probable cause and, as far as I'm concerned very _very_ premeditated murder by Dr. Judy May."

"Wow." Her ex looked thoroughly impressed now that he finally understood. "I gotta hand it to you two. I'm glad Chelsea's getting the justice she deserves. I can't imagine what she went through…"

"It was all the Detective," Lucifer smiled. "Now! I'd love to test our partnership on the Penetrating Perpetrator."

"Not so fast," Dan pulled out a file and opened it to printed off cell phone pictures and a few candy wrappers. "I have a case of my own that I know you're involved with."

"I beg your pardon, Detective Douche?"

"You heard me. You too, Chloe. Sit down." He stared intently at the couple.

Chloe laughed at all the work he'd put into the file. There were sticky notes, arrows, highlighters and everything. "Dan, what is this?"

"I know what's going on here," he stood up and leaned on the table, trying to look intimidating.

"Do tell, Barney Fife," Lucifer crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap, thoroughly enjoying his friend's little production.

"Exhibit A," he said, scooting the two pieces of trash in front of Chloe. "Candy cane wrappers. And if I had to guess, I'd say there's probably a peppermint or five in your jacket pocket, right?"

She played along, emptying her pockets onto the table. "Five exactly. Wow, Dan, you're good."

He nodded, completely missing her playfully patronizing tone, and pulled out one of the pictures from the party. This one just so happened to be of the two exchanging glasses. "Exhibit B. Everyone left that party drunk as a skunk, but you two were completely fine. Now I know Lucifer's kind of a lush, so it's not like he can't hold his wine, but I know for a fact that you start to feel it after one glass," he looked at his ex and pointed at the rather full glass Lucifer was handing her.

"Now I resent that, Daniel. I'm _not_ a lush. Though you're right about the Detective here," he grinned at Chloe as she slapped his arm.

"Exhibit C," he started to pull out another picture, this one a rather awkward close up of Chloe's chest under the v-neck blouse she'd warn the day before.

"Daniel Carol Espinosa! What the hell?!" Chloe reached over and slammed closed the file, his hand still inside.

"I told you those were bigger." Lucifer looked smug, "Wait _Carol_? Oh I have to remember to use that later."

"You caught us, Dan. You're right. Were you that bored though that you had to play Why are Chloe's Cheeks So Puffy?"

"Are they?" Lucifer looked over, genuinely trying to see what on Earth she must be seeing in the mirror. "I don't see it."

"It's not like I haven't seen you pregnant before, Chlo," her ex took his seat across from them. "Does Trixie know?"

Lucifer leaned back in his chair, "Not Trixie no. But I did have a rather interesting conversation with the one with whom you're bouncing your theories and possibly her head on your headboard."

Dan's eyes grew wide for a split second. Chloe perked up, her ponytail flying as she turned her head to her partner. "What? Who? Who else knows?"

"I drove your offspring back to your place last Tuesday, so she could fetch a rather important pair of noise canceling headphones from her room. I just so happened to see a particular detective's vehicle parked around the block, and when the Brat returned to the car, she looked quite the worse for wear, ironically saying it sounded like someone was being murdered upstair. I of course had to investigate. I wouldn't have pegged you as such a screamer, Daniel. Pun a happy coincidence."

Chloe's jaw dropped, "Dan, you're hooking up with Maze?!"

Lucifer nodded, "She came to see me last night to find out if the gossip she'd heard was true. Seems she outed their little adventure in Pound Town to boot."

The blonde dissolved into a fit of hormonal giggles while her ex's cheeks grew crimson.

"Oh come now, Daniel. Or wait...that's Maze's line now isn't it. Don't worry, ol' chap. We've all been there."

When Chloe had the chance to collect herself and wipe away a few tears from laughing so hard, she glanced at her watch and stood up, putting her peppermints back in her pocket. "Lucifer, we gotta go. We have that appointment on the other end of town."

He got up and stuck his hand out to Dan, "Do be careful, won't you?"

"Shut up, Lucifer."

When Chloe opened the door from the interrogation room, she was met with a very sudden, very large hug. "Jeez, Ella. Hi."

"I'm sorry! I can't help it! I was listening from behind the two way mirror. I knew there had to be a reason you'd switched to decaf!" The young lady squealed, "You guys are going to have the cutest friggin baby ever!" She stopped, thinking about her current company, "I mean uh...second cutest...because Trixie is….I mean I never saw her as a baby but uh…"

"Thank you Ella," Chloe decided it was useless to fight off Ella's love and just accepted it, hugging her back.

"For real though you guys," she switched to pinning Lucifer's arms to his side with another bear hug before grabbing each of them by the arm, so excited she couldn't contain her bubbly energy, "my aunt that was the nun made me go through all the classes and get certified as a doula so I could help her at the clinic she worked at in Detroit, since she thought I'd stay out of trouble between undergrad and grad school that way. But, with all the different classes I had to take for Forensic Science, I could totally get certified as a midwife and help you out if you want to go that direction. Just sayin'."

The parents to be locked eyes for a moment, Chloe trying to hold back a full on relieved grin. Lucifer raised an apprehensive eyebrow, "You, Miss Lopez? Queen of the Dead?"

She nodded, ecstatically, "Granted, the people I work with now are a lot quieter, but I do miss the little buggers."

"We're going to give that some thought, Ella. Thank you," Chloe gave her another hug, feeling a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. "But Lucifer and I need to get going so we'll come talk to you a little more about it after a while, okay?" Ella just squealed as they made their way up the stairs and out of the precinct.

* * *

"All I'm saying Chloe is that I'm not sure how I feel about a Forensic Scientist being in charge of your care." Lucifer defended himself as Chloe sat with her arms crossed in the passenger seat of the Corvette, cockng her head at him.

"Why? She's brilliant and has the background."

"With dead things, yes. How do we know what she's like with small, wiggly, slimy, live things?"

"Charming," she rolled her eyes. "I already texted Linda about it and between her, Ella, Maze if I can convince her, and you I think I'll be in good hands." She reached over and squeezed his thigh, "You have to tell me it's going to be okay, Lucifer. You promised."

He glanced over at her, those big blue eyes searching his for reassurance. He smiled and nodded, lacing his fingers with her. "Always." But he was wrestling with the idea of telling Chloe about Miss Lopez's 'ghost'. _The angel of death's BFF. What could go wrong?_ he thought, still smiling for his Detective. She smiled back at him, but looked a little antsy. "Nervous?"

She nodded, regretfully. "A little. But mostly I just really have to pee."

Lucifer laughed, "Why do they need you to come in with a full bladder?"

"Makes the baby easier to see in the scan. How much longer until we're there?"

"Well, because you booked your appointment at a clinic as far opposite of town as physically possible, quote, just in case something odd pops up, end quote, we have another ten minutes give or take this town's lovely traffic."

"Great."

Half an hour later, they were checked in and waiting in a small room, both of their stomachs twisting with nerves, but both putting on a brave face for the other. "So what's the plan if they spot wings? Knock out the ultrasound tech and make a break for it?" Chloe tried to break the tension from her spot on the table.

Lucifer kissed her forehead, "Hopefully he keeps them tucked in for a bit." When her eyes grew wide, he backtracked. "Kidding. I'm kidding. Your scan a few weeks ago was perfectly normal. I'm sure this one will be the same."

She was about to go into full interrogation mode on whether wings were an actual concern or not, but the tech walked in and Lucifer retreated to the chair across the room while she went through the routine checkup.

When the friendly-faced brunette had Chloe lay down and lift her shirt, she turned to the man in the chair while she prepped the machine. "Gonna join us, Daddy?"

"Different connotation than I'm used to," he winked, standing up and grabbing the Detective's hand. The tech's brow furrowed, but she shook it off and squirted the jelly between Chloe's hips, causing her to gasp at the cold. "That's a little more familiar."

"Lucifer."

"Sorry."

"Ready?" the seemingly very innocent tech asked. The parents both found themselves holding their breath until something appeared on the screen. "There we are, and here," she pushed a few buttons and suddenly a very strong, very steady pulsing filled the room, "is the heartbeat. Sounds really good," she smiled, getting to work at taking measurements and pictures.

The mother was more or less fine until she saw the look on the father's face. She squeezed his hand as her vision blurred, feeling it tremble under her touch. He tore his eyes away from the screen to smile at her. "Beautiful," he whispered, not actually able to speak. She just nodded and reached up to wipe the tears off his cheeks.

"Welp, it's measuring just right. About the size of a plum."

"And no horns, that's always a plus," Lucifer teased, partly to put Chloe's mind at ease, but partly to see what the tech's face would do.

A bit later, they were back in the car, looking at the print outs. "Satisfied, Detective? She said everything looked normal. Are we still going with Miss Lopez or will you let me get you the best doctor in tinseltown?"

Chloe shook her head, "I still want to go with my tribe, Lucifer. We'll have to explain everything to Ella eventually, but I just feel like it's the safer way to go here. Just in case."

"But you know where it comes out of," he grimaced, "that can't be comfortable."

"Not my first rodeo, Lucifer. It can't be _that_ much different without an epidural." She flipped through the pictures as they headed out of the parking lot, trying to hide the nervous twitch her mouth had developed. She knew exactly what she was getting herself into, and it scared the hell out of her, but for their child's sake, it was his or her safety over her comfort. And she was perfectly fine with that. Or she would be eventually. "But now that we know everything's actually okay for the most part we can tell Trixie."

"I can't believe you didn't want to know the sex when she asked."

"I can't believe you cried," she smiled, squeezing his arm.

"I thought we weren't going to mention that, thank you."

"It was adorable," she giggled. "But no, I don't want to know yet. What's life without a little spontaneity, right Lucifer?"

* * *

"Is this about the vase in the guest room?" Trixie asked, looking guilty from her spot on the couch.

"It wasn't," her mom sat across from her. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. Continue." She smiled, devilishly, the actual Devil raising an eyebrow from his spot by Chloe.

"We'll talk about that later, but uh," Chloe took a deep, nervous breath. "We have something we want to talk to you about."

"Oooh," Trixie watched as the two looked at each other in one of their weird lovey dovey smirks, "if this is about how Lucifer is an angel, I already know."

"What?" Chloe froze and the man in question laughed into the scotch he'd just poured, but found it much more humorous than her mother.

"My parents are both detectives, what do you expect?"

"What gave me away, child?" Lucifer grinned, actually quite impressed. He'd always been a bit more careful around her. If anything, her answer could help him keep hidden the part of himself he truly hoped she never found out about.

The little girl shrugged, "I asked Santa for a guardian angel for my mom a few years ago and you showed up. The feather in mom's purse just proved it."

Lucifer threw a rather amused, but touched look at the woman, her cheeks turning red. "You keep one of my feathers in your purse?"

"Can I see your wings, Lucifer?"

He chuckled, setting his drink down and grabbing Chloe's hand. "Maybe later. Your mum's trying to tell you something."

Trixie cocked her head, her legs swinging off the side of the couch. "What's going on, Mom?"

"Well Monkey, I'm uh…" she felt Lucifer's thumb lightly play with her knuckles as she handed her one of the pictures she'd laid face down on the coffee table. "We're going to have a baby."

She grabbed the picture, a huge grin spreading across her face, "So you guys _are_ having sex."

Lucifer choked on air and Chloe looked mortified, "Oh my God, Trixie!"

"Not with him," he smirked, picking up his glass again.

Chloe shook her head, completely exasperated with the mental list of all the different talks she obviously needed to have with her daughter. Deciding to laugh it off for now, she got up and gave her a hug, "Are you okay with this, Bug? Being a big sister and everything?"

Trixie hugged back tightly, nodding against her mom's shoulder, and squealing excitedly before going over to wrap her arms around Lucifer's neck.

"You owe me for reading my letter to Santa," she whispered in his ear. "But thank you."

He chuckled, a little surprised, but found himself setting his glass back down and hugging the small child back with both arms. He sighed, seeing those damn tears in Chloe's eyes again. This pregnancy had turned his tough as nails Detective into quite the little softy. "You're quite welcome, Brat."

* * *

 _Like I said, FLUFF ALERT! Hope you're not queasy from all the sweets. Again, thank you so so so so much for the reviews that keep me going and all those follows. I've never in my life had a story with so much of a following. You guys are the best. :)_

 _Love you all and see you next time, with possibly a bit more drama. Uh oh. ;)_


	7. Gotta Have Faith

_As per usual, thank you so much for all the love. You guys are awesome. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the reviews. :)_

 _Yes, this chapter also has a lot of fluff in it, just a heads up. If you haven't picked it up yet, I love DeckerStar fluff. ;) #NoShame_

 _Enjoy!_

 _PS: I did take some liberty in the amenities of the Lux penthouse suite, but that's half the fun with fanfic, right? ;)_

Chapter 7

"That is definitely a stark change of events from the last time a dozen girls spent the night on the tennis court," Lucifer walked into the closet, taking off his shirt, slowing down in the task when he saw Chloe by the mirror putting lotion on her swollen belly, a soft smile on her face. "Hello there," he grinned, taking in the white lace lingerie, her hair still in a ponytail.

She rolled her eyes at him through the reflection, a lollipop stick in her teeth. "I seriously hope your last group of girls weren't all eleven."

"No minors. Maze can spot a fake ID a mile away," he stepped out of his pants and came up from behind in his boxers, wrapping his arms around her, and helping to rub in the lotion methodically. His warm fingers left a trail of goosebumps in their wake as she relaxed into his chest. "What flavor are you trying to coax him with tonight? Olive? Baked beans?"

"Pickle," Chloe grinned, grabbing the stick and running her tongue around the lime green ball, doing her best to tease him.

"Mmmm…" he moaned, kissing her neck and pulling her tighter against his front. It was working.

So was the sugar. Chloe's grin grew wide as she looked down at her belly, "That one?"

Lucifer shook his head, "I think he's avoiding me."

"Week 26, girlie." She poked where she'd just felt the kick, "Just a little harder so Daddy can feel."

He sighed playfully upset, wrapping his arms around her chest, "It's because you're still calling him a girl."

"Maybe it's because you're still calling her a boy," she stuck her tongue out at him, biting off the rest of the sucker and tossing the stick to the bin.

He turned her face to give her a quick peck on the lips, "Hmm...a very sexy dill."

"Are you sure the girls are okay down there?" Chloe asked, reaching for the blush pink silk robe Lucifer had surprised her with when she and Trixie had finally, officially moved in.

He reluctantly let go, following her out to the dark bedroom, the only light coming from the city outside. "They're one floor down, Maze is chaperoning, and when I left they were bedazzling foam knives and making smores with a candle."

Chloe chuckled, "That's better than when I went to check on them. They were having some issues pitching their tents. It got a little dramatic."

Lucifer smirked, climbing into bed, "Can't say I've ever had that problem."

"Trust me, I know," she crawled in on her side of the bed, closest to the bathroom, letting out a sigh of relief as her head hit the pillow. "I'm not complaining, I promise, but growing a person is exhausting."

"More so as an angel?" He asked, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.

"Maybe a little. But I was also eleven years younger before."

"Oooh, eleven years," he teased, scratching her back.

"Says the immortal," She nuzzled into his firm, warm chest, her belly pressed tight against his. "I've been thinking a lot about that."

Lucifer's heart squeezed, realizing he was holding her just as tightly. He made himself relax a little and swallowed the lump in his throat, "Have you?"

She nodded against his chest, "Did you ever watch _Forever_?"

"The one with the chap from _Horatio Hornblower_? I was furious when they canceled that. I'd love to know what morons cancel shows in their prime. I'd put in a request to make a special circle of Hell for them."

Chloe laughed, "Agreed. But you know how his son was so much older than him and they just went with it when everyone assumed he was his dad?" She noticed Lucifer holding his breath, his hand slowing down on her back. "Maybe that wouldn't be so bad afterall. I'm not going to be around forever and...and I really do feel so much better knowing someone will be there for Trixie and the baby after I'm gone."

"How soon do you think this will be?" Lucifer meant it to come out as a joke, but found himself choking on the words.

"Hopefully not for a very long time, but think about it. You could be around for generations. Maybe help Trixie's great great great great granddaughter become the president of Mars like her great great great great grandmother before her."

Lucifer laughed a little sadly. "That sounds like Hell, Chloe."

"How come?" She asked, surprised, "No one gets to meet the people that far down the line. That would be amazing."

"But think of what that entails. Seeing so many generations born means watching those that come before them die." He swallowed hard, shaking his head as Chloe scooted up to lay hers on his pillow. He ran a hand through her silky soft locks, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Come to think of it, that will probably be my Hell loop when I do off myself."

"When you what?!"

"How long do you expect me to blunder around Earth when you're not here? I won't even be able to sleep without your snoring."

She shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "Lucifer…"

"Not for a very very long time, Chloe." He pulled her in as tight as he could, just holding her. They laid in silence, listening to each other breathe until they both gasped. "Was that?"

"You felt that?!" She squealed, eyes sparkling.

Lucifer moved his hand down to her belly, grinning from ear to ear and looking completely taken aback. "What do you know? There _is_ someone in there."

Chloe lifted up the duvet to see where Lucifer's hand rested, "Nice job Sammy!"

"Sammy?" he froze, his blood running cold.

She shrugged, a little bashful. "Maybe you're right. It could be a boy, and Sam works for either. Samantha or….Samael…?"

Lucifer forced a half smile on his face, trying desperately to not lose the overwhelming joy he had felt just a second before. They'd talk about it later. This wasn't the time. Chloe was absolutely ecstatic that he'd finally felt their child kick and there was no way in Hell he'd let his father ruin this for her. For either of them.

Samael comment aside, he couldn't honestly think of a time in his unimaginably long life that was as peaceful or, dare he say it, happy as this was. He laid as still as he could, just waiting to feel the baby again. His baby. Instead of letting himself go down the negativity rabbit hole his father created for him, he focused on his Detective's big blue eyes, catching the light from the moon as her lids grew heavy. He kissed her forehead, breathing in the lilac shampoo.

"Good night, Daddy." she mumbled before falling asleep, that sweet smile still on her face.

"Good night, mum."

* * *

"It feels so nice to be out from behind that stupid desk," Chloe sighed happily, sunning her face as she walked arm in arm with her partner in Venice Beach. "I can't believe Fitz put me on desk duty until after maternity leave."

"How do you think _I_ feel, Detective? I'm working with my pregnant girlfriend's ex husband until I can have you back. Slightly awkward." He grinned, mischievously, "I do have to hand it to Fitz though. I like that you're safe behind your desk and not out getting shot at. A pregnant cop makes everyone uncomfortable."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "I guess. It _is_ kinda fun sending you guys out to do the dirty work while I work in the air conditioning. Trixie! Not too far ahead!"

The little girl turned around on her roller skates, pouting as she rolled back, "But you guys are walking so slow."

Lucifer nodded toward Chloe, "Extra passenger, give her a break."

"She's the size of a cabbage. I'm walking slow because we're just strolling on a lazy Sunday morning, jeez."

Trixie and Lucifer exchanged the same look they'd been giving each other whenever Chloe's hormones turned to rage, "We also don't have wheels, Brat. Shoo. Skate circles or something."

Trixie giggled and took off effortlessly backwards. "My little Roller Derby Queen," Chloe laughed, mood having swung back to cheerful. "I never did ask, did you and Dan have any luck last night on your steak out?"

Lucifer shrugged, "We didn't see much. The guy's undoubtedly a dealer, but our person of interest never showed." He chuckled, "So Dan's taking over your lease with Maze, eh?"

Chloe nodded, a little sadly. "I knew Dan didn't like being in his apartment without Charlotte anymore. The Maze thing kinda throws me though, but Linda thinks they're both feeling a little left out with us playing happy family. They're not exactly intimate now, just like…bros. Maze is on a women only kick, I guess."

"Oh not only, Detective," he wiggled an eyebrow at her.

"No...really?" she snorted. "With Dan?"

"Sir Vanilla Douche himself."

The Douche's ex grimaced, "Eww."

Lucifer grinned at the woman's expression. No matter how she scrunched her face, she was still breathtakingly beautiful with her hair sparkling in the sun and dancing in the breeze. "You've never thought about a threesome?" Her glare back at him answered his question. "Not even with another man? Ryan Reynolds? Sam Heughan? That Jason Moomoo fella?"

"Is this my list or yours?" she laughed, but her eyes looked a little hurt, "You wouldn't be upset if another guy…? Down there?"

His brow furrowed as he thought about it, "I'd tear them limb from limb if they touched you, come to think about it."

The rage in his eyes reflected in hers as relief, a smile playing on her lips, "Are you turning vanilla too like little old me?"

"I only want to do what you're comfortable with, my darling." He unhooked his arm from hers and put it around her shoulder, "Though I do have to admit, I've been dying to tie you up lately."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, pulling the skirt of her cream colored dress under her belly to fully show just how large her bump had become in the last six months. "You ass, is this a Jonah and the Whale thing?"

"Absolutely not, Detective." He shuttered, "And please leave the idea of my Dad's temper tantrums out of the bedroom."

"Sorry. I just don't see why you'd want to tie all of this up. I'm not exactly your Victoria Secret Angel type at the moment."

Lucifer stopped and gently pulled her back after she'd taken a few more steps without him, "Chloe, you are far more beautiful than any of those angel wannabes. You truly are my angel, sent directly from Heaven." She smiled up at him, clearly not noticing that he was completely serious about being Heaven sent.

Chloe reached up to caress his cheek, but her soft, loving eyes started focusing inwardly and a grin spread across her face. She grabbed his hands, holding one on each side of her belly. "Do you feel that?"

Lucifer's stomach filled with...butterflies? He scoffed to himself at the thought, but they were the only part of him he'd allow to move until he felt what Chloe was feeling. It took a minute, but finally, ever so faintly, there was a very slow, rhythmic tap against his hand. "Did he sneak a metronome in there?" he asked, amazed.

"Hiccups."

"Mommy, can we get some ice cream?" Trixie skated back, pointing to the stand and breaking the intimate moment in her usual way.

She and Lucifer both looked at Chloe with puppy dog eyes. "Oh fine," she agreed. "But just a little one. We're meeting grandma for lunch in a couple hours."

"Fun hater." He pulled out his wallet and handed the girl a fifty. "Butter pecan for me. See if they have tuna sprinkles for your mum," he winked at Chloe.

"Mint Chocolate Chip would be perfect, actually," she corrected him, swatting his shoulder.

"Keep the change!" he called after her, grabbing Chloe's hand and kissing it to distract her from the stern look she was currently giving him through her eyelashes. "Should I try to scare him?" he grinned, noticing Chloe's other hand on her belly as they walked to the bench.

She chuckled, taking a seat, "No, I think they stopped. She's just moving a lot today." She squeezed his hand, "You should go help Trixie. I don't see that ending well."

"Right, two shakes," he leaned down to kiss Chloe on the cheek, much to her amusement, and jogged over to the little girl, currently juggling the three ice cream cones and the change he'd promised her. "Need a hand, Offspring?"

Trixie shook her head, her lips occupied with the change. Before Lucifer could insist, her skate went out from under her, causing her to wobble violently, overcorrect, and send the ice cream flying.

Right into Lucifer's favorite black Gucci suit.

He looked down at the green, pink, and white goo, his face growing hotter and hotter the farther it spread.

"Lucifer, I'm sorry!" Trixie whimpered, the money falling out of her lips, "I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me, Lucifer…I'm...I'm..."

Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she wept, but no matter how much he tried to control it, his vision grew red. His face was on fire and before he could stop it, he saw his true face in the reflection of the child's eyes. Her scared, wide eyes.

Her little face contorted into an agonizing, terrified cry for help, her scream piercing his heart. He tried desperately to make it go away, but every time he opened his mouth to calm her down, to make her see it was still him, all that came out was a growl. "Trixie!" he screamed in his head, but the name wouldn't come out of his mouth. Just a deep, angry growl. "It's okay! It's me!" Nothing. He could hear himself barking at the poor girl.

He reached out to touch her, but she flinched away, finally able to move. Not looking where she was going, desperate to get away from him, she took off. Right toward the busy intersection.

"Trixie, no!" Chloe took off after her, as fast as she could, throwing Lucifer the most heartbreaking 'How could you?!' glare he'd ever seen.

He tried to go after them both, but couldn't move, his feet anchored firmly where he stood. The closer Trixie got to the street, the faster Chloe ran, and the more stuck Lucifer became. He tried tearing out of his shoes, but nothing he did could break himself free. "NO!" he screamed, "No no no!" They were getting too close and the cars were driving way too fast. He shook out his shoulders to unfurl his wings, but they weren't there.

His wings weren't there.

"No! No! No no no no no!" Lucifer shook with rage at his father, his heart pounding in his throat. "No! Trixie! Chloe! Stop! Stop!"

Trixie was still skating toward the street, looking back at him with hurt and fear in her eyes, desperately trying to get as far away from him as possible, paying no attention to what was going on around her. Chloe was sprinting now, gaining on her with a surge of maternal adrenaline.

He had one last, desperate option. In a panic, he put his hands together, forced himself to close his eyes and turned his face up to the sky. "AMENADIEL! AMENADIEL HELP! FUCKING HURRY!" He screamed in prayer.

Nothing. Time didn't slow down. His brother didn't appear out of nowhere.

Nothing.

There was a scream.

And a bus.

And they were gone.

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Lucifer screamed, flinging himself bolt upright in bed. "No," his muscular shoulders sagged and he doubled over on himself, rocking back and forth. "No. No no no. No."

"Lucifer?!" Chloe sat up, groggy. "Lucifer, what is it? Honey?" She put a hand on his bare back. He was drenched in sweat, shaking, and freezing to the touch. "Lucifer?" She got up on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing hard at the shock herself. "Lucifer, it's okay. Everything's okay. Lucifer?"

He was sobbing.

Her big strong Devil was sobbing, his shoulders shaking. "Are you still asleep?" She asked, backing up and running her fingers through his hair, her heart aching at just how vulnerable he looked. "Lucifer, wake up. Lucifer!"

He gasped loudly, his eyes finally focussing. He looked around in a daze, tears still in his eyes. "Chloe?" he whispered.

She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and nodded.

"Chloe?" his lip quivered as he reached out to touch her neck. "What have I done?"

She shook her head, wiping his tears away with her thumbs, "Lucifer, no. No. You haven't done anything."

"You're...?" His touch grew even more gentle as it moved to her cheek, as if he was afraid she'd vanish into thin air. She nodded, tears now in her own eyes. "The baby?" he panted, his hand shaking as he reached out to touch the bump under her robe.

"We're okay, Lucifer. We're fine. What happened?" She waited patiently, his giant, gentle hand palming her belly like a basketball as she stroked the back of it, just watching his eyes as his breathing slowly started to calm down.

When he looked up at her though, his face was anything but back to his usual extreme glee she'd fallen in love with. "Trixie…?" he whispered.

She smiled. He used her daughter's real name far more seldom than he used her own and the sound of it coming out of his mouth made her heart soar, "Trixie's just fine."

He shook his head, throwing the covers off and putting on his robe as he stumbled down the two stairs and across the living room toward her hall. He had to see her. He had to know for a fact that she was okay, but more so, he had to have her see him. See that he was still the guardian angel she'd asked for from Santa, no matter how hilarious he usually found her theory.

But when he very slowly and quietly opened her door, decorated with dozens of her drawings, the purple glow of her accent lights shown on an empty room, the only occupant of her bed was the giant green Martian from Maze. "Trixie?" he called. "Trixie?"

Chloe slipped her arm around his waist, "She's downstairs with her friends, remember? Come here." She guided him back out to the main room of the penthouse.

He pulled back, toward the elevator, "Please." She nodded, ever so slightly, taking his hand in hers and pushing the button with her other. She was definitely awake at this point, but still rested her head on his bicep during the tense, short ride down to the rec area of their home. They both looked tired in the gold reflection, but he looked absolutely exhausted.

When the doors opened, he quickly made his way past the glowing pool, full of the girls' floaties, the state of the art workout equipment from Lux's previous owners, the burgundy pool table, the pinball machines, and the single bowling lane. Chloe met him at the edge of the red and green tennis court, the slightly cool breeze coming in from the open side of the building, quietly rustling the six small, colorful tents set up in a circle around a wide, blown out candle in the center. "She's in the yellow one by Maze," she whispered.

The Devil slowly tiptoed over, Chloe going around. "It's just me," she put her hands up, avoiding the imminent knife attack from the stirring guard in the lawn chair, though she looked much less threatening than usual. "I love the makeup, Maze."

"They gave me a makeover." The demon raised an eyebrow, pointing to the bright blue eyeshadow up past her forehead, visible in the bright moonlight. "They obviously need practice. What's going on?" she asked, nodding to Lucifer, currently trying to unzip the tent flap as quietly as possible.

Chloe sighed, shaking her head and folding her arms, "I think he had a really...really bad nightmare. He woke up screaming bloody murder…crying…I'd never seen him like that before."

"Crying?" Maze smirked. "I've only seen it the once." At Chloe's inquisitive stare, she continued, "After he realized you'd seen his face."

She nodded slowly, her heart breaking at the thought of what he must have felt at the time. "Please don't tell him I told you that. He was still pretty much asleep."

Maze licked her teeth, menacingly, "So what's he doing playing peeping Tom?"

"He insisted on seeing Trixie. Whatever he saw, it obviously had something to do with her." She watched as Lucifer zipped the tent back up and joined them, looking just slightly more relaxed. "She okay?"

He nodded, swallowing hard, "Out cold." He put an arm around Chloe's shoulders and grinned nonchalantly at his friend, "David Bowie called, Maze. He wants his album cover back."

She snarled at him, "You look like you need to seriously catch up on your beauty sleep."

Chloe yawned, patting his hip. "Let's go back upstairs, Lucifer." He nodded, taking the lead and guiding them back to the elevator. "Are you okay?" she cautiously asked his reflection. All she got back was another half-hearted nod before the doors opened.

She went to guide him to the bedroom, but looked at his face. The momentary relief of seeing Trixie safe had already faded. "Come on. We both need some air," she said, taking his hand and pulling him out to the railing of the balcony. She took a deep breath, focusing her attention on the cool night air on her face.

"It was so real…"

He said it so quietly, she wasn't sure he'd actually said anything. "The dream?"

He held onto the black metal for dear life, squeezing his eyes shut. "It was just like when I couldn't save you when you fell from-" Realization struck him rather suddenly and Lucifer found himself pulling his Detective away from the railing and back to a chair where he pulled her into his lap, safe and away from the building's edge.

She straddled his thighs, sitting close enough that her belly pressed into his. He looked at her with a sad smile, but he still seemed so scared. "What happened in this one?" she asked cautiously.

He shook his head, looking down at his hands on the baby. It wasn't kicking hard enough for him to feel at the moment, but just the heat from Chloe's skin through the cool silk robe was a comfort. He cleared his throat, but his voice still came out thick, "I lost all three of you...my family."

"Oh Lucifer," she put a hand on his chin, raising his line of vision to look at her, the scruff soft on her thumb. "It was just a dream. We're all safe and sound."

He held her hand, regretfully pulling it away from his face, "It was all my fault, Chloe. I couldn't control my…my…"

"Trixie saw it, didn't she?"

"I lost my temper for a split second and it hurt her." Lucifer hung his head in defeat, gripping the arms of the chair, "That look in her eyes. She was so scared of me." He looked up, his eyes red with tears, "And then it killed her. And you. And the baby. Everyone I loved was just gone in the blink of an eye."

"That was a dream, Lucifer. Trixie's best friend in the whole world is a demon and the step dad she idolizes is an angel. Her mom and dad both have dangerous jobs. She's a tough little girl."

"Step dad?" he asked, caught off guard.

Chloe shrugged, "She calls you her step dad when she's bragging to her friends."

"She only knows for sure that I'm an angel, Chloe. I don't think she actually knows what it means, me being the Devil. Would she be bragging if she knew the truth?"

"You know she doesn't tell anyone you're an angel." Chloe chuckled, "Besides, are we sure she doesn't know for sure?"

Lucifer finally smiled, "Perceptive little human, isn't she."

The mother nodded proudly, "And loving. And accepting. Forgiving. And has you so tightly wound around her little finger that I don't honestly think you could ever lose your temper around her. Now her first boyfriend, maybe."

He chuckled, "That goes without saying." His face turned serious again, "How do you live with this?"

"What?"

"This crushing weight on your chest. The constant worry that something will happen to take it all away?"

She put her hands in his hair and kissed his forehead, "That's a very human feeling, Lucifer. It's normal to feel like something will go horribly wrong when everything is going so well. You just have to have faith that everything will be okay."

He grimaced, "No offense, but faith is not exactly something I want to mix with what we have, Detective."

"Not in your dad," Chloe shook her head. "Faith in me. Faith in Trixie. Faith in our future. Faith in you to keep us safe, even though you think you're so scary," she winked.

"Faith in your ability to talk the Devil off the ledge." Lucifer pulled her close, burying his face in her hair, just needing to hold her.

* * *

"Where are you off too, Detective?" Lucifer asked from his spot at the piano. He'd been mindlessly playing a rather dark version of _Sweet Dreams_ that sounded more like Marilyn Manson's version than the original.

Chloe grabbed her keys from the bar and quickly shuffled the file on the desk together, stuffing everything in her backpack. "I'm going into work for the morning. The charred body from the case you and Dan are working on matched dental records for the owner's from a recent house fire six miles from where she was found. Ella wants to go scope the house out with the fire chief."

"It's Saturday," he protested, closing the cover on the keys. "Well two shakes, I'll go get changed." His heart felt like it had stopped, the scene leading up to the Trixie Tragedy flooding back to him at his use of 'two shakes'. He cleared his throat, trying to clear the fog in his mind, "We can just ride together."

The detective put a hand on his shoulder, "You stay here, Lucifer. The parents came to pick up the girls this morning so Trixie's in her room." She bent to kiss his temple as he squeezed her hand. "Maybe get some rest? You look exhausted."

He looked up at her, trying to hide the worry in his eyes, but came off as rather unsuccessful, fumbling with her bullet necklace as a distraction. "Be careful, Chloe?"

She nodded, squeezing back, "Remember _Dan_ is the one teaching Trixie guitar, okay? He really wants this to be his thing."

"I'll only help her with finger placement," he grinned. "My specialty, anyway."

Chloe flicked the side of his head, "I should be back by lunch. Stay out of trouble."

"I thought you had faith in me, Detective!" he called after her as the elevator doors closed on her laughter. He reopened the cover and was about to start playing again when he heard quite the loud _clunk_ of a chord from Trixie's room.

She was, indeed, practicing, but not the boring dribble Dan had been teaching her. Lucifer got up and knocked on her door frame, "Hey, Brittany Michaels, turn it down a skosh?"

"Nice jammies, Lucifer." Trixie grinned and played another chord, this one sounding much better. "What do I do with this finger again on the E minor?" she asked, holding up her middle finger, failing to hide her giggles.

Lucifer tried not to show that he was just as amused. Chloe had been getting on him about that lately. Something about encouraging her and that behavior getting passed on to _their_ spawn. "Third string, second fret."

"And the C?" she asked, already putting her fingers into place.

"Exactly where you have them. Are you _trying_ to get me into trouble, Brat?"

"It's not lying if you just don't tell the whole truth, right Lucifer?"

"I know for a fact that I've never shared _that_ particular piece of wisdom with you."

"Oh you haven't?" she raised her eyebrows at him, perfectly imitating his intense, wide eyed stare. In a few years it could very possibly work.

Lucifer sighed, feeling rather soft hearted at the moment as he pushed the mental image of her face twisting in fear farther down into the pit of his stomach. "If I let you win this time, can you please dumb it down a bit when your mum's home. At least make it _sound_ like your father is the main one teaching you."

"He's teaching me everything he knows," she shrugged. "I just want to learn more than that."

"Move over." He told Magagsy, moving the doll currently dressed in one of the leather dresses from Maze, and took a seat next to her on her bed. He picked up the book she'd 'accidentally' ordered off his Amazon account. "Ooh, excellent choice. Bit offensive."

Roughly an hour and only two small bickering sessions, sans Devil Face much to the owner's relief, later, the teacher and student both heard the elevator ding. They looked at each other mischievously and Lucifer quickly reached over to turn the amp down. "Too early for lunch," he shrugged, "Take five."

It wasn't Chloe, but both Linda and Maze that now stood in the main room of the penthouse. "Ladies?" he asked, a gut feeling telling him exactly what this was all about. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We were in the neighborhood," Linda smiled. "Thought we'd stop in and say hi."

"Ironic timing."

Maze interjected, "We're here because your hormonal human texted my brunch bitch at four o'clock this morning and I still needed to get some things from downstairs. And I like a good show."

"There it is," Lucifer sauntered over to the bar and poured himself a drink.

Linda grabbed it out of his hand, "You're not even out of your um...are those Grinch pajamas, Lucifer?" she had to purse her lips to keep from grinning.

"I threw them on to make breakfast this morning, yes." He threw a glare over to Maze, but led them both to the sitting area anyway, purposefully taking a seat on the other side of the couch away from the chaise. "Now what did my lovely Detective go running to my shrink about?" He couldn't help but feeling a little betrayed, but knew, deep down, she had only done it out of concern for him.

"You had another nightmare?" Linda sat across from him in the chair by the TV, and lowered her voice. "I hear it was about Trixie."

Lucifer nodded, reluctantly, "Just...pause." He walked over to the child's room, peeking inside, "Not your mum, go nuts." She threw him the rock horns and turned her amp back up as he closed the door and went back to reclaim his spot on the couch. He sighed, "Right. If it will put the Detective's mind at ease, yes. I had a nightmare. Yes, Trixie was involved. No, I'm not keeping anything bottled up. Happy?" Maze let out a high pitched scoff, but continued to pace around the room, not exactly bothering the Devil as he'd had millenia to get used to her.

His therapist crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap, patiently waiting for him to continue. The look on her face very accurately depicted that she did not buy his story one little bit.

"I don't know what you want here, Doctor. It was a normal day that turned about as shitty as it possibly could have. A grade A, run of the mill nightmare."

"Chloe's worried, Lucifer." She noticed his shoulders droop ever so slightly. "You're the one constantly getting on her about not working too hard or getting too stressed. All I'm saying is it would really help her out if we talked about this, as friends, before you give her another heart attack in the middle of the night."

He watched as Maze finally took a seat at the bar across the room and directed his attention back to Linda. "We were out walking in Venice Beach and the detective's child was roller skating. She wanted ice cream and when I went to help her, she lost her balance and it all ended up on my suit. My Devil Face popped out, she got scared, ended up rolling out into traffic. Chloe went after her and...there was a bus."

"I have a feeling there's more to it than that. Why don't we start at the very beginning," she gently, but sternly prodded, "Was there dialogue?"

By the time he recited his dream as line by line as he could remember, Maze had moved up to sit on the lid of the grand piano. She was only slightly offended by the fact that Linda had been talking about her relationship with Dan to his ex wife, but found herself realizing that she was right. She went quiet momentarily, simultaneously pondering her best friend's theory and trying her hardest to look like she was fuming about it.

Not feeling ready to discuss the absence of Amenadiel, it was the look on Lucifer's face when he'd described Chloe's part of that particular conversation in his dream that stuck with Linda as a place to start. "What do you think Chloe meant by 'playing happy family', Lucifer?"

The man in question shrugged, looking less relaxed than when they'd started, "I don't know. I mean _she_ didn't actually say it, did she? It was my subconscious or whatever, right?"

"It was. But why do you think your subconscious made her say those exact words?"

He shook his head, opening and closing his mouth like he wanted to say something, but couldn't. Finally he attempted to spit it out, "I don't think she realizes I'm actually in this for the long haul…"

"Has she said that?"

"Quite the opposite, actually." He sighed, "Or is she convincing me as a way to convince herself?"

Linda nodded slowly, "You've brought up marriage before in our sessions. I saw the ring you were going to give to the Detective. Hell, every text I get from Chloe I think is going to be an announcement, but you still haven't popped the question. Maybe she needs that milestone in your relationship to really solidify that this whole thing is real? That you really are a family?"

"I've brought it up, Doctor. Numerous times," he rolled his eyes. "She thinks I only want to marry her because she's pregnant. She knows I would do anything for her, but she keeps blowing me off on that front. And not in the fun way, mind you."

"You bring it up?" Maze snorted from across the room. "Romantic."

"Maze."

"No, she has a point. You're the king of wooing Lucifer, you can't just 'bring up' marriage and expect her to take you seriously. If you're so set on marrying the Detective, why haven't you _actually_ proposed?" Linda watched as he put his head in his hands, rubbing his cheeks. "The last time you had a nightmare involving her, it was because you were afraid you wouldn't be able to control your wings, right?" He nodded, so she went on, "Is this about control or…" her eyes widened in a moment of clarity, "free will? Or both?"

Lucifer looked up at her, his face still in his hands. "Linda…"

She stopped pressing, "Alright. Let's take a step back here and just…retrace your steps. Sparing us the graphic details, what were you doing before you fell asleep? What were you thinking about? What were you _feeling_ , Lucifer?"

He shook his head, doubtful. "Do you want to know what we had for dinner too?" Linda raised an eyebrow but waited patiently for a response. He sighed, his eyes sparkling, "I felt the baby kick. Chloe had been chomping at the bit for it."

"Just Chloe?" the doctor grinned, knowingly.

"It was remarkable." He gave a small laugh, studying his hands, "There's an _actual_ person growing inside of her that's part….part me."

"So the baby's real for you now?"

He nodded, his smile fading, "And then she called it Sammy."

"For Samael?"

"Or Samantha for a girl," he closed his eyes, attempting to calm his anger.

"Not your top choice?"

"Of course it's not my top choice," Lucifer snapped at her, raising his voice more than he meant to.

"I like Ziminiar," Maze pondered, having taken out one of her blades, slowly turning the point on her finger. "Sekhmet for a female."

The man on the couch rolled his eyes, "Why are you here, exactly, Maze?"

"Moral support. Duh."

"Wait wait wait…" Linda looked extra concentrated, holding up her index finger, a grin spreading across her face. "Is that...is Trixie actually playing _Fallen Angel_ by Poison?"

Lucifer chuckled, beaming and welcoming the distraction. "She's picking it up quite nicely, isn't she?"

She nodded, looking intently at the teacher, "It's amazing how fast kids pick up on things, isn't it?" He just raised an eyebrow, pressing his finger tips together under his chin. "Correct me if I'm wrong here, but Trixie knows you're an angel. But she's only seen...Samael, right? But you haven't shown her Satan?"

He jerked hard away from the names she used, but they gave him the reaction she needed him to have, "I don't _go_ by that pathetic excuse for a name, Doctor." He said through his teeth, "You know not to call me that."

"I do. But Lucifer, all of your identity crises surrounding that name...Samael...I think Chloe bringing that up to name your child triggered something in you. It's the name your father gave you, the name you've rejected because of everything he did to you." She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, "I have to ask you something, and...it might be hard to answer…"

"What?" he snapped, his stomach churning.

"Does Chloe _know_ what involvement your dad had in her life yet?"

He shook his head, suddenly finding it impossible to breathe, let alone speak.

Linda looked at Maze, surprised at how concerned she looked as Lucifer's hands pulled at his hair. "Don't you see? Is it possible you think of your lack of choice in bearing your true face to Trixie as a bit like your fears of Chloe not being able to choose you on her own free will?"

Lucifer sighed, leaning back into the couch and rubbing his thighs, "What do you want me to do, Doctor? Tell Chloe? A very hormonal Chloe, that just so happens to be carrying _my_ child, that she never had a choice whether she fell in love with me or not and I slept with her anyway? What do you think that would _do_ to her? To us? She would...she would leave me..."

"No," the therapist shook her head, "I don't think she would, Lucifer. Whether it was her choice to fall in love with you or not, she did, and we've had this discussion before. There's no reason for you to hold onto this and feel guilty. She and Trixie are so happy with you in their lives."

"Obnoxiously happy," Maze threw in, grinning.

Lucifer huffed in a sarcastic chuckle, "Was this supposed to help me relax? I feel worse now, thank you. And what about the Brat exactly? Is my nightmare also saying I need to show _her_ my true face now too? What if she's terrified of me? Even if Chloe doesn't leave me after I tell her about dear old dad's doing, do you honestly think she'd subject her spawn to what scares her? So long any resemblance to a happy family I'm holding onto right now."

"Like she's going to care," the demon laughed. "She's seen my real face. She loved it."

"She what?!" the Devil asked, brow furrowed.

"What?" she shrugged. "It was Halloween. She thought it was a mask. You'll be fine. She's a little warped."

"Lucifer," Linda leaned forward in her chair, taking back control of the conversation. "I need you to do two things for me...for you...before our actual session this week, okay?"

He blinked slowly, "And they are?" he asked, knowing full well it was useless for him to argue with his friend.

"You already know. But I want you to finally tell Chloe. It's holding you back in being truly, completely happy."

He focused on the plants in the corner of the balcony, trying not to throw up. In his head, he was screaming as desperately as he was in his nightmare. "And the other?"

"Show Trixie your true face. In a controlled environment, she'll know it's all going to be okay. Then if it does happen to pop out at an inconvenient time, like it did in your dream, she won't be as scared as she would be if it was the first time she'd ever seen it. She'll know it's still _you_. If anything, it's for her safety."

Lucifer nodded, swallowing down the lump in his throat, "That's what the Detective's been saying for a while. I just don't want her to...to look at me any differently."

She just smiled in wonder at the worried love in the man's eyes, "Then she needs the full disclosure. They both do."

"Because you took it so well?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

* * *

By two o'clock, Linda and Maze had left to do lunch, Lucifer was pacing the floor in the penthouse, and Trixie was watching him from the desk where she was doing her homework, giving her fingers a rest. "Is mom bringing lunch or can we order pizza again?"

He paused, pulling out his phone from his suit pocket for the hundredth time since he'd changed, "Something's wrong…"

"Is she okay?"

Lucifer looked up to see the little girl's eyes morph into what he'd seen in the dream the night before. He involuntarily reached up to touch his face, but it was still what she was used to. Realizing she'd heard him, he cleared his throat and tried to back peddle. "With my phone, Spawn. I'm sure your mother's fine." Not only did he have to worry about the impending doom of showing the brat his true face, now he had to worry about why her mother hadn't come home by the time she said she would. "What is it you're working on?"

Trixie picked up the book to show him the cover, "We're going over the Civil War in history class. I have to do a stupid report on Jefferson Davis."

The Devil raised an eyebrow, "Well that's a name I haven't heard for a while. You should have Maze help you with that one." He was about to sit down and thumb through her book, but the elevator dinged and opened up to reveal a particularly sooty Chloe Decker. "Bloody hell. I was about to put out a BOLO on you." He sighed with relief as she stepped into the room, feeling half the weight drop off his shoulders. "What happened? You're a mess. Are you okay?"

Chloe chuckled. Her hands, the bottom half of her face, and the silhouette of a pair of glasses were the only clean parts on her. "I'm fine. Ella made me wear a mask. We got a little too into it and lost track of time. Found some pretty interesting stuff for the case though."

Trixie giggled, "You look funny, mommy!"

"Jee thanks, Monkey," she stuck her tongue out at her daughter and tried her best to stretch out her back. "I'm going to take a shower. Have you guys eaten? I think someone's mad that I haven't yet."

"Is she kicking?" The big sister perked up, scurrying over to put a hand on her mom's filthy white shirt, Chloe guiding her hand to the right spot. She shook her head, disappointed. "I don't feel it."

Chloe ran a hand through Trixie's hair, "You will soon. Lucifer felt her last night." She looked up and smiled at him, his hands in his pockets, a goofy little exasperated grin on his face. "We'll try again after lunch. She'll be more active after I eat. Why don't you finish up your report while I'm in the shower and we'll do something fun tonight." As she took her seat back at the desk, Chloe nodded toward the bathroom at Lucifer, "Can we talk?"

He nodded, following her into the master bathroom she'd redecorated to a soft white spa, "I was just about to ask you the same thing, Detective." She was going to turn on the shower when Lucifer stopped her and led her to the chair in the corner. "Strip, Darling. I'll do the grunt work," he winked, rolling up his sleeves and turning on the faucet in the giant bathtub, adding just the right amount of bubbles.

"Not too hot, Lucifer." She reminded him, being met with a 'tell me something I don't know' stare back at her. "Right. It's in the book," she rolled her eyes. When she peeled off the ashy clothes, she grabbed the man's outstretched hand and let him help her step into the tub. As much as she hated to admit it, her balance _was_ starting to get a little off. Lucifer crossed his arms on the ledge of the bathtub, entranced by the sight of her relax as she washed her hair. After she rinsed it out, he grabbed her loofah and started on her shoulders, "Did Linda stop by?" she asked.

"She did. Maze too." He smiled, sadly. "I didn't realize I'd scared you so much."

She opened her eyes, shaking her head and running a wet finger down his cheek, "I wasn't scared _of_ you, Lucifer. I was scared _for_ you."

"Regardless." He sighed, "She uh...she thinks it's time."

"To show Trixie your Devil Face?"

He gently sat her up and slowly started washing her back. _Among other things, yes._ "I think she's right."

Chloe's head lolled forward, completely relaxed. "I knew that was bothering you. Didn't I suggest showing her a couple months ago?"

"You did, yes."

"Mmmhm," she leaned back again when he was done, moving on to her legs, leaving a feather light trail of kisses on her shins and goosebumps behind the loofah. "That feels amazing," she purred.

Lucifer stopped, "Detective?"

"What?" Chloe asked, broken from her trance.

"Does it not bother you that I'm saying I want to show your little offspring my true face? A face that very well might scare the absolute Hell out of her?"

Chloe chuckled, shifting herself to put both elbows on the side of the tub and grabbed his face with her foamy hands. "Again, Lucifer. I know my daughter. She'll be just fine. She thinks you walk on water."

"If I could do _that_ , I wouldn't have a scary red face to show her and I'd save a boatload of money on wine."

"You know...it's not merlot," she grinned mischievously, starting to unbutton the man's shirt, "and it's a little sooty…" she licked her lips, pushing off his suit vest and pulling the button-up out from his pants, "But we have time to kill while Trixie's finishing her report."

"I thought you'd never ask," he bolted the door, finished stripping in no time, and slid into the tub behind her, pulling her close between his legs and wrapping his arms, carefully, around her chest. "That nightmare wasn't _all_ bad, you know. I did like that you were complaining about Fitz putting you on desk duty until after you're back from maternity leave."

"She already has me sidelined for most of the fun calls. That's why you and Dan are working together."

Lucifer sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder, and running the loofah over her belly.

"Don't tell me you were worried about me today?"

"Obviously."

"I'm careful, Lucifer," she turned her head to kiss his cheek, but jumped at a particularly powerful internal elbow to the ribs. "Ow, alright, Bud. Not always careful I guess," she laughed.

"See, he agrees with me."

Chloe just rolled her eyes at him and relaxed against his chest as his hands worked their way lower and lower on her belly, until they eventually found themselves high on her thighs. Her breathing grew heavy as a quiet moan vibrated against her neck, her back already arching slightly away from his torso. "Lucifer…"

"Shh, love." He kissed her neck, slowly wafting the bubbles over her chest while his other hand teased her entrance, carefully avoiding the spot that would send her over the edge. She rocked her hips, trying her hardest to slip it into place, the motion causing the bulge against her back to harden. The breath on her neck grew ragged as she reached around to grip his cock, playing with the pressure she applied as she went up and down his shaft, the smooth skin growing hotter, even under the warm water.

His hips started grinding against her back as she braced herself, gripping the side of the tub. She awkwardly pushed herself up, Lucifer helping to lift her into place, his teasing fingers replaced with his shaft. He held it firmly against her swollen lips, thrusting slowly against her clit. She whimpered with pleasure, her own hips digging rhythmically into his. "What is it you desire, Detective?"

"Inside…" Chloe panted, trying to stay as quiet as she could. "I want you...in...s...side."

"Mmm…as long as you say please," he kept sliding over her, feeling her bud swell more and more.

"Lucifer…" she begged, gripping his forearm.

"That wasn't please." He kissed her shoulder blade and watched the goosebumps spread on her flawless back. "Say it. Say it and I'll come inside." He gave a sexy, throaty chuckle, letting his teeth graze her shoulder as he kissed the goosebumps. "Just say please," he could tell she was close already by the sounds she was making. He had to take a deep breath against her back or he'd be done before the real fun could start.

"Pl...please Lucifer. Please," her hips sped up against his shaft and he could feel the movements becoming jerky. Desperate. He let his go just a fraction of an inch farther back and used his hand to guide his head into the right place. He let his thrusts come up short once...twice….three times more before pushing himself up into her, agonizingly slow.

She let out a loud, high pitched moan that rattled his bones, her muscles gripping onto him so tightly that he let out a sound he'd never recalled making before. "Chloe," he pushed her down as far as she could go, her moan turning into a gasping scream of pleasure that shocked them both. Lucifer reached up to cover her mouth, pressing his against the woman's back as he started thrusting harder, groaning with the exertion. Chloe gripped both sides of the tub to steady herself, Lucifer's other hand rubbing hard circles into her clit for as long as she could bear until her entire body arched away from him, riding her release as quietly as she possibly could against his hand.

Lucifer held her tightly as her body convulsed through the aftershocks, one more deep thrust bringing him to his release. Her chest heaved as she laid against him, happily catching her breath as he pulled her hair through his orgasm, turning it into a head massage as the intensity wore off.

After a while, the water had cooled down and Chloe was shifting away to stand up. Lucifer put a hand on her shoulder, gently coercing her to sit back down so he could get out first and help her. He wrapped her in one of her favorite, giant fluffy white towels and kissed her. She smiled against his lips. "What?" he chuckled.

"You don't usually let me do reverse cowgirl."

"And I don't really want to think about why that is," Lucifer looked at her sternly, but his eyes sparkled. "Though it seems I may be missing out with you, my sexy Detective. Come on, let's go get dressed. You two need lunch."

* * *

After a late lunch at Trixie's choice, the Hard Rock Cafe down the street from Lux, Lucifer and Chloe both found themselves asleep on the couch, completely exhausted from the events of the night before and their steamy workout session in the bathtub. Lucifer woke up first, a tight ball of nerves manifesting itself in the pit of his stomach. The afternoon's activities proved to be a fun distraction, but the thought of completing both of his friend's assignments put the weight of the world back on his shoulders.

Feeling Chloe start to stir, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Mmmm…" she sighed happily, squinting at the afternoon sun, flooding in through the windows. "What time is it?"

Lucifer peaked over her shoulder to look at his watch, "Almost five."

"Come on, let's get this over with." She yawned and struggled a bit to get off the low couch, but when she stood up, she grabbed his hand and pulled.

"Beg pardon?" he chuckled, if only to delay the inevitable a bit longer.

"You were tossing and turning during my whole nap. You're stressed out about telling Trixie, so let's go rip the bandaid off. Come on." She took off toward her daughter's room, but came back up the stairs of the hall, brow furrowed. "I could've sworn she was in her room."

He pulled his phone out and laughed at the message from Trixie. It was the whiskey emoji and the two dancing girls with bunny ears. "She's down at Lux."

"Great, my kid's already sneaking off to a bar. Again." She shook her head, exasperated, and crossed the room to step into the elevator, Lucifer already waiting for her.

"Relax, mumsie." He grinned, watching her pursed lips in the golden reflection of the doors. "It's early. Staff isn't even there yet."

She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her fingers on her elbow. "Then what is she doing down here?"

Lucifer snuck a reply with the red sirens and the female cop emojis. Considering the music was still blaring when the doors opened however, his receiver didn't get the message in time. Chloe cocked her head at him. "You want her to see the Devil's face, but have a problem with his music? Really Detective," he huffed. She rolled her eyes at him, but clearly couldn't stay too terribly mad as they walked out of the elevator and stopped at the railing to sneak in on Trixie's show below.

She had lined up her favorite stuffed animals in the booths surrounding the piano, the Martian and Magagsy front and center. The main lights were dimmed and the stage lights cycled through blues and purples, reflecting off her pink guitar as she sang _Highway to Hell_ into the mic. Chloe covered her mouth to try to hide her amusement at her high pitched rendition. Seeing Lucifer full on laughing beside her she couldn't help but give him a swat to the arm, "I thought your word was your bond?"

"Whatever do you mean, Detective?" He asked, still chuckling, leaning in so she could hear.

"I was with Dan for six years," she yelled over the music, "he never got past _Smoke on the Water_."

Lucifer shrugged, grinning "He's been through a lot recently. Maybe he's channeling his feelings into his playing."

"Right, I'm sure that's it." She smirked, watching as Lucifer turned his attention back to her daughter. She wanted to be mad, but he was so obviously proud of how far she'd come since Christmas. Instead, she put a hand on his, holding the railing, and enjoyed the show, almost feeling guilty that the little rocker had no idea they were there.

" _And I'm goin' dooooooooownnnnnnnn!_ " Trixie finished strong, aggressively strumming the last note in true frontman fashion, throwing up rock horns to her stuffed audience. "Thank you, goodnight!"

"Wooooo!" Chloe screamed from the balcony, grinning ear to ear, Lucifer raising an eyebrow at her, thoroughly amused.

Trixie spun around, her eyes growing wide with horror, "Mom!"

"Encore!" Her not so secret teacher clapped as she scurried around, putting down her guitar and setting the lights back to normal. He held his arm out for Chloe to loop hers through and they walked down to the makeshift stage. "Glad to see you have a fallback if the Presidential race on Mars doesn't go the way you wish, my musical Brat."

She just blushed, thoroughly embarrassed, looking at her mom. "Sorry."

"For what? Trixie, that was amazing. I'm glad you found something you want to keep up with." She let go of Lucifer and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "I'm so proud of you. Maybe not for sneaking down to the club though. We'll talk about that later."

"Fine," she sighed, hugging her mom around her belly, looking back at Lucifer and mouthing, "does she know?"

He shrugged as subtly as he could, but found his mouth growing dry at the thought of what was coming. He cleared his throat, resisting the urge to pour himself a drink or light up a cigarette. "We need to talk, Spawn."

"Aww, he's just helping Dad teach me. He's not taking over or anything," she protested, looking up at her mom. "Don't be mad at him."

Chloe looked at him from under her eyelashes as if to say, 'I knew it'. "It's not about that, Bug. We just have something else we need to talk to you about."

Trixie looked thoroughly confused, "You're already pregnant. What else is there? Twins?"

Both Chloe's and Lucifer's eyes grew wide at that. "Dad, no." Lucifer mumbled, motioning for the two ladies to follow him over to an empty booth. He took a seat on the ottoman across from it, "No, there's something we need to tell you about me."

Trixie sat down in Chloe's waiting arms, "Is this about the uh…" she whispered, forming her hands into a circle above her head in a halo.

Lucifer chuckled, a little sadly. "More like um…" he cautiously put both hands up to his head, index fingers making the stereotypical horns he'd tried so hard to get away from.

"Well yeah," the little girl shrugged, "I mean your name is _Lucifer_ , dude."

Chloe tightened her grip around her daughter, giving Lucifer a reassuring nod. He took a deep breath and nodded back, a sad, small smile on his face. "You say you believe me that I'm the Devil, but I need you to _see_ me. Just...just so you know it's still me if you ever...experience it. I don't ever want it to scare you, alright?"

Trixie looked up at her mom, apprehensively. "It's okay, Baby," she kissed the top of her head, her heart racing. As sure as she was that she'd be perfectly okay with it, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of mom she was, letting the Devil himself be such a huge part of her child's life. Her children's lives.

Trixie nodded, looking back at Lucifer. "Lay it on me."

"Chloe?" he waited for her grab the girl's hand, took a deep breath, and concentrated on whatever he could to work himself up enough to let his true face come through. He couldn't discern whether it was nerves or the usual transformation process that was causing his heart to thud in his ears as his vision grew red. He couldn't recall ever noticing that before.

Seeing Chloe steady herself made his already pounding heart squeeze painfully in his chest, but when he finally took the chance to lock eyes with her daughter, he could let the breath out he'd been holding. "Trixie?" he tested, noticeably not barking like he did in the nightmare.

Her eyes were wide, but not in the way his subconscious had seen it. This time, they were accompanied by a grin as her jaw hit the floor. "Cool!" She wiggled out of Chloe's grip, not hesitating for a second to walk over to Lucifer, reaching out a cautious hand. "Is it hot?"

"Trixie-"

"It's fine, Detective." It felt completely unnatural to genuinely smile in this face, but he grabbed the little girls hand, hyper aware of his strength in his current form, and gently placed it on his cheek. "A little."

She studied his face, tracing the red, scaly ridges with her finger before kissing him on his other cheek. "Coolest step dad ever."

Chloe chuckled from her spot on the booth, noticeably breathing easier when the man's angelic face returned. "Told you," she mouthed at him, his relieved smile giving her butterflies in her stomach. "You okay, Trix?"

She just nodded, the man still holding her small hand on his cheek. "You took that better than your mum," the Devil teased, letting go.

The mom rolled her eyes, smiling as she stood up and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Sammy's playing soccer with my bladder," she stretched, patting her belly. "I'm gonna go upstairs and let you two talk, okay?" She leaned over to give Lucifer a quick peck on the lips before heading up the stairs and getting on the elevator.

Lucifer took a deep breath, mentally adding the conversation about her insistence on calling the baby 'Sammy' to his list of uncomfortable to-do's, the little girl still standing between his knees, "Are you sure you can truly accept me for who I am, Trixie? Because if you're not, I do have to respect that. Understood?"

"Can I take you to show and tell?"

"You know the deal. Divinity is too powerful for humans." She raised an eyebrow at him, "Most humans. Our little secret, alright? Just like my wings." Trixie nodded, throwing her arms around his neck. He sighed as he hugged her back, having hoped to feel more relieved than he did.

* * *

"I hope you're happy." Lucifer snarled at the sky from where he stood on the balcony, his words dripping with disdain. It was late and sleep had eluded him all night. If he closed his eyes, his imagination ran away with mental images of Chloe packing up her things and leaving, never to let him meet their child. If he watched her sleep, just listening to her quiet snore, his stomach turned with guilt. Instead of disturbing her much needed rest with his constant tossing and turning, he got up, threw on his robe, poured himself a drink, and after a few cigarettes, decided to vent his anger at the celestial being causing it all.

"Is this all part of my punishment, _Dad_? Make me unimaginably happy and tear it all away when I try to do the right thing by telling Chloe none of it was ever up to her?" He took a gulp of his drink, but it did little to calm his nerves. He was still shaking as he shrugged, "She does _have_ to know though, doesn't she. It's not fair for her to never know the whole truth.

"Or is it going to be more like my nightmare? You'll decide when I'm at my happiest and rip my family away when it would hurt the most. Seems like something you would do." He shook his head, fuming. "How could you?!" he yelled up to the heavens, squeezing his glass until it cracked and he threw it as hard as he could over the railing. "How could you put anyone in this situation. How do I tell her?!"

"Tell me what?" Chloe stood at the glass doors, the glow from the fire pits dancing on her worried, tired face.

"How long have you been standing there?" Lucifer jumped, turning around. "What are you doing awake, Detective?"

"Trixie climbed into bed after you got up. Finally felt the baby kick," she smiled, cradling her bump. "What's going on? Everything okay?"

"No," he smiled sadly. " _Because_ everything's perfectly fine."

She walked over to him, noticing the tears in his eyes. "I told you, Lucifer. You have to have faith that everything will be okay. I know this whole family thing is terrifying, but you have to focus on the good parts."

He shook his head, caressing her cheek, "It's not that, Chloe. There's um...there's something I haven't told you."

"Tell me, Lucifer. Whatever it is, I can take it. Tough as nails, remember?" she smiled, trying to cheer him up.

He took a deep breath, just looking into those big blue eyes he'd fallen so completely in love with. "Do you recall what I'd said when you asked if you'd be the next Virgin Mary?" She blushed, "After that. About Amenadiel."

"You said I should ask Amenadiel if she was actually a virgin or not." Her eyes grew wide, "Are you saying he's Jesus's dad?! I mean I knew Jesus was black but..."

"No," he put a hand up, steering the conversation back, "No. He wasn't the one to bless Mary, but...but he was given that task once before. Back in 1982." Lucifer paused to let it sink in for his detective, but she didn't quite put two and two together just yet. "He was to find a young, cheesy sci fi actress that wasn't able to give her cop husband a child. Dad sent Amenadiel to bless...Penny Decker...so that she could have John Decker's child."

Chloe's brow furrowed as she bit her nail, "Blessed Pen...my mother? Wh-what do you mean? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," he paused to swallow down a sudden wave of nausea. "You're...you are, in every sense of the word, a miracle."

"Why?" she finally squeaked. "Wh...why me? Does...does Amenadiel do that often? Is that how…?" she looked down at her swollen belly, her face white.

Lucifer carefully put his hands on her arms, covered in the silk fabric of her robe, "No. No, that was us. He's only done it the once, but...I think you were put here, specifically to cross paths with me. I don't know why He ordered my brother to put you here, but...I've never told you _why_ you were special, why my Devilish charms don't work on you. Why I can't bring out your innermost desires the way I can everyone else's. I don't understand it completely myself, but I think it's because my Dad put you here... _for_ me, Chloe." A tear rolled down his cheek as he shook his head, the look in his eyes pleading for her understanding. "And I should have told you before...everything," he covered the hand on her belly with his, "but I just couldn't stay away from you. It's...magnetic...and I was so...so afraid that if you knew you didn't have a choice-"

"Is this what you were trying to tell me the night we got the call about Charlotte?" She interjected, putting a finger on his lips, "You kept saying something about how I _was_ choosing you."

"But I don't know if that choice was up to you or not. That's _why_ I ran off to Vegas. I think...I think my dear old dad may have been manipulating you from the very beginning so that you and I…"

Chloe shook her head, taking a deep shaky breath, "What did you mean by your punishment, Lucifer? Do you…do you honestly feel like I'm your punishment?"

"No," he half laughed, half choked down a sob. "No. Not _you_. But what my father might do to you...to...take you away from me."

She cocked her head, running her fingers through his hair, "Why are you so convinced that He put us in each other's paths for something malicious? Isn't it possible that maybe...I don't know...maybe it's for something good?"

He pulled away, "You don't know my father, Chloe."

"I don't. But I'm a parent. Come here." She grabbed his hands and put one on either side of her belly, the baby almost instantly jabbing her where she'd placed his right hand. He smiled. "You are going to find out very soon that the only thing that truly matters is doing what's best for your child. You would do anything to make sure he's happy and healthy and safe. And loved. What if your dad did that for you with...with me?"

He looked into her eyes, her's just as brimmed over with tears as his own. "But you didn't have a choice…"

"No one gets to choose who they fall in love with, Lucifer. Besides, you told me what Father Frank told you...about your story not being over. Yes, your dad sent you to Hell. He made you do terrible, awful things that he didn't want to do himself. He gave you the ultimate bad reputation, but maybe…" she trailed off, trying to collect her words. "It's not like this isn't something you've already thought of yet, but my grandfather was a Mason so my grandma joined the Eastern Star. And I keep thinking about her old books I used to sneak peaks at. East… Sunrise… Morning… Morningstar. So….so I found one in a box of her old stuff." She chuckled at herself, "It dawned on me why Lux is Lux, but one of their things is _Fiat Lux_. To make light."

Lucifer nodded, "I'm the light bringer, right. Look, Chloe…"

"But the Eastern Stars...the Morning Stars...they are to _bring_ the light to the world. To make the world a more beautiful place. You keep thinking like your dad's plan for you is only about punishment, but what if it's beauty? What if part of his plan for you all along was bringing our baby into the world. Okay, so he had to bless my mom to have me so I could cross paths with you, but that just means you and I were needed to create little Sammy here. What if he's an elaborate apology from your dad?" she smiled, searching his eyes for even the slightest hint of agreement. Instead, he winced. "Not Sammy?" she chuckled. "I'm sorry. I didn't really think that through."

He shook his head, rubbing the soft silk under his hands, "Not Samael."

"Okay, we'll go back to the drawing board," she reached up to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Is this why you've been so quiet tonight?" He nodded. "I've seen your true face, Lucifer. I let my kid see it. Did you really think finding out I'm a miracle was going to end everything we have here? After everything we've been through?"

The weight of the world was finally off his shoulders and he was truly able to relax, "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered, unable to say it any louder. He didn't say it often, but every time he did, those three little words sent shivers down Chloe's spine and set her heart on fire. "Come back to bed? Even though the miracle's kid is kinda passed out in there now?"

He grinned, "That's going to be a thing now, isn't it?"

"It's not every day you learn you're a miracle," she shrugged, taking his hand. "Come on." Before she opened the door, she started chuckling, "I'm surprised your glass didn't hit a cat like in the movies."

Lucifer just smiled, feeling more at ease than he had since seeing that damn picture of his brother and, practically, mother-in-law at that bar. "Did she have a nightmare too?" he whispered, half teasing, seeing Trixie sprawled out under the covers. "Needed her mum after seeing the Devil?"

Chloe carefully moved her over to her side and scooted in beside her, "So she crawls into his bed?"

"It's your gravitational pull." He was met with a rather dark glare as he crawled in behind her. "Perhaps I should rephrase that?" he chuckled, putting an arm over her, reaching over to very gently move the hair from Trixie's face, resting his chin in the crook of the blond's neck. "Thank you, Chloe."

"For what?"

"For having so much faith in me." He chuckled, "And for finally calling the baby a 'he'."

* * *

 _Sorry this chapter got soooooo long. There were actually going to be two more sections, but I finally just had to find a place to wrap it up before it got to be 40 pages long! Hope you liked it and stuck around for the whole thing. Please review! ;)_

 _PSA: Season Four in 9 days, guys! That won't change where this story is going, since this is a continuation of season three, but it may delay the next chapter a little bit if I don't have it done before then. :)_


	8. Moby Dick

_Hello all! Just a quick word to say thank you for the lovely, heartwarming reviews. I love you guys!_

 _Also, as I'm sure you've noticed in the past 50,000+ words, I love the lighter side of Lucifer. (I love all of it, but you know what I mean). This is the first story I've written for a show that's still ongoing, so just know that nothing I'm writing is rejecting anything that happens in Season 4, I'm just going forward based off of season 3! Goes without saying, I'm sure. But I'm not used to such nice, accepting fans! Lucifans are truly one of a kind. :)_

 _I've had the next few chapters planned out to a T….just not actually written….for months, so any similarity to season 4, if there is any, is just a coincidence. Hope you keep enjoying this DeckerStar Fluff!_

 _Thanks again!_

 _*Extreme Fluff Warning*_

Chapter 8

"Well he was about as helpful as a condom machine at the Vatican…" Lucifer huffed, slamming the door of the LAPD issued Charger. "A chinchilla sanctuary? Maybe we should haul him off to the loony bin. Obviously a public danger if that's what he desires most in the world. Even if he's not setting houses on fire."

"There's nothing wrong with chinchillas. Charlotte's kids had one. It was uh...soft…" Dan trailed off awkwardly. He buckled his seat belt without saying another word, essentially ending all conversation until they were on the highway. "Regardless, he had a rock-solid alibi for the night of the fire. Did you tell Chloe her lead was a dud? Carefully?"

Lucifer had been rather quiet himself at the mention of their friend and wasn't paying much attention to his temporary partner. "What?"

"Chloe? Did you let her know her lead isn't the guy?" Dan looked over, "You okay?"

The man in question sat up a little straighter, smoothing out his suit jacket. "Course." He pulled out his phone and went to call her, but noticed he already had a text. "What, pray tell, are Sour Patch Kids?"

"Sounds like someone's having cravings," Dan laughed. "When she was pregnant with Trixie, she couldn't get her hands on enough bacon. Or savory muffins. There were _so_ many muffins."

"Savory muffins?" Lucifer looked disgusted, "Who would do such a thing?"

He shrugged, "I dunno man. She send you out running around in the middle of the night yet?"

"Just the once, a couple months ago. Said she desperately needed something called a Shamrock Shake. She _actually_ guilted the former King of Hell out of bed to drive around the city to find three different McDonald's at two o'clock in the morning."

Chloe's ex didn't even bat an eye at his 'King of Hell' comment, just chalking it up to his usual delusional sense of humor. "Ice cream machines were down at the first two you came across, huh?"

"Just the first one. I ended up trying the damn thing after the second and couldn't stop. Delectibe little desserts, aren't they? Shame they're only out in March. I ended up having to find another on the way home for her or I'd never hear the end of it."

"Careful Lucifer. That sympathy weight is a bitch."

"Celestial metabolism. Comes in quite handy."

"Sure. Right." The driver rolled his eyes, but noticed he was texting her back with information from the guy they'd just talked to. "So this time right before Trixie was born, I noticed we were really low on milk when I left for work."

"Fascinating," Lucifer teased, knowing full well he wasn't done.

"Anyway," he sighed. "I picked some up on the way home and when I get there, she just starts crying like I brought her a dozen roses. She super weepy this time or just pissed off at your Luciferness?"

The passenger raised an eyebrow, mid text. "You're chatty this afternoon, Daniel." As shameless as Lucifer prided himself to be, he still felt it a bit uncomfortable to talk about Chloe so intimately with her ex, something she herself had pointed out to him. Evidently, he hadn't been throwing their relationship in his face nearly as much in the week since his chat with Linda and Maze. However, it was either this or awkward silence and he was nothing if not good at filling that or showing the man up. "Not pissed, no. Though I think the best breakdown so far has been when she and your Spawn finally moved in and she asked where the laundry was. She didn't realize I sent it all out to be done."

Dan looked at him with his jaw set, but his eyes were sparkling as they pulled into a gas station parking lot. "I'd probably cry too if I found out I never had to do laundry again. Dick."

"Another lead I don't know about?" Lucier asked as his partner threw the car in park.

"Nope. Sour Patch Kids. They're in the aisle by the coolers on the east wall. If I know Chloe at all, I'd say go with the Extremes." He received an impressed nod as an unspoken, smug thank you. For the next ten minutes, he flipped through their current case file on his tablet as he waited.

Right as he was actually starting to get a little worried, Lucifer came back to the car with two grocery sacks full of every variety of Sour Patch Kids and two bags of cool ranch Doritos, a few random whiskey shooters hiding in the bottom with the chips. "Just in case," he grinned.

"Uh huh." The cop side eyed his partner as he opened up a bag of chips. "Care to share?"

"Thought you were watching your carbs?" he winked, effortlessly stuffing a whole chip in his mouth, exaggerating the crunch before acting the martyr and offering up the bag.

Dan took a chip, completely exasperated. "Can we just clear the air on something here, Lucifer?" The chewing stopped beside him and he was met with an expectant eyebrow and a very amused smirk. "You're with my ex. That's fine. You two are having a baby. Congrats." He sighed, "And honestly, I've never seen her or Trixie so happy. But, instead of thinking of me as the ex, can we just look at this as my best friend is having a baby with a buddy of mine? I just feel like there's tension and it's not good for us if we're going to be working together."

"Well well well," Lucifer grinned, "has someone been talking to Dr. Linda again?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Afraid not, detective. But tell me, am I the buddy or the best friend?"

Being the manly men they were, or at least wanted the other to think they were, neither would acknowledge that the tension had already lifted a bit. Instead, Dan reached over and punched his buddy in the arm, "When are you going to make an honest woman out of my best friend, asshole?"

After the momentary shock wore off, Lucifer grabbed another chip from the bag and waved it at the cop. "Aside from picking out the right candy, I'm wondering if you could help me with something else, Daniel…"

He grinned, snatching the Dorito out of his hand. "Does Lucifer Morningstar need a favor?"

Just as the inventor of said friendly exchange was done divulging what he needed, Dan's phone went off for a text. "Oh Jesus. It's Ella. They're at a call about another body. This one from a house in Burbank." He dropped his phone in the cupholder and stepped on the gas.

"Then why are we still headed south, exactly?"

"Because like the other one, the body was dumped miles in the opposite direction."

Within half an hour, they met up with Ella, Fitz, and Chloe at the crime scene in Inglewood. The body had been dumped under an overpass of the 405 and the lab tech was busy taking pictures and doing her poking and prodding. The black, charred skin looked anything but human and had Chloe looking a little green around the gills. "Your slightly cannibalistic treats, Detective?" Lucifer grinned, holding out a bag of the requested candies.

She gagged, covering her mouth. "Well not right _now_ , Lucifer."

"Right, sorry. What are you doing here? I thought Fitz grounded you?"

She folded her arms over the chain that now held her badge as it no longer stayed where it used to on her hip, "I'm supposed to sit at my desk for the next three months? I'm fine. Stop worrying," she winked.

Lucifer was about to protest, but Dan piped up, "Whatcha got, Ella?"

"According to the purse that was dumped with her," she pointed to the singed Vera Bradley bag at the body's feet, "this is Andrea Cortez, 34. We'll need dental records to confirm, but according to the LA fire department, it was her house that burned down last night in Burbank."

Chloe kept her mouth covered and tried her hardest to look directly at Ella and avoid eye contact with the shriveled lady. "Are you finding anything actually _on_ her connecting this to our other victim from the fire in Santa Monica?"

She wobbled her head from side to side in a half nod, half head shake, her pony tail flying, "I think so? Robin Russo was found in, ironically, Burbank with the same ligature mark around her left wrist. And there's of course the rotisserie thing going on. There's no sign of blunt force trauma or bullet wounds, just like our other vic, but all signs point toward smoke inhalation for cause of death-"

"Oh God," Chloe winced.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow at her, "Other department, I'm afraid. Stereotypically."

"Actually, it's kind of a blessing." Ella sighed, subtly crossing herself. "Usually when someone dies in a fire, they die of smoke inhalation before they have a chance to sizzle," she said, very carefully opening the mouth with a sickening crunch.

Chloe lost it, doubling over and throwing up her breakfast. Lucifer very quickly got his Italian leather shoes out of the way, grabbing for her ponytail.

"Sorry Decker!" The scientist popped up to check on her patient, ripping off her gloves and putting herself in midwife mode, rubbing the heaving woman's back. "Come on, let's go take a seat. I have that bag of stuff Lucifer bought in the van. I'll go grab it and-"

"Ella, I'm fine," Chloe stood up, wiping her face with a handkerchief from a very concerned looking Lucifer, digging a peppermint out of her pocket. "What did you find...in there?"

Her friend looked apprehensive to leave her, but went back to double check her findings, throwing on new gloves and taking a picture. "Guys, her throat is pink too," she looked back with wide, horrified eyes. "I think she burned alive before the smoke got to her."

The Detective proceeded to throw up her lunch in the same spot as her breakfast, but knowing Lucifer could take care of his stubborn partner, Ella dug a little deeper. Something silver in the throat caught her eye. She took a quick picture before grabbing a long pair of tweezers and very carefully dug out a metal rosary. "Hey Dan?"

"Yeah," Espinoza turned around from where he and Fitz were looking through his tablet. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the silver crucifix. "Okay, I know it's early, but this doesn't feel like a copycat."

Lucifer stuck his hands in his pockets and went to join Ella once he knew Chloe wasn't going to let him help her any farther. "Not unless the cat's enjoying a nice bowl of Cheerios…" He looked around to see everyone's faces looking rather uncomfortable and his smile faded. "Cereal….serial killer?"

Dan raised an eyebrow, looking at Chloe, very subtly guiding her into the shade of the overpass. "Is he trying out dad jokes?"

She shrugged, looking a little embarrassed though a smile _was_ pulling at the corners of her mouth. When Ella got up from her spot again, she noticed him putting a hand between her shoulder blades and guided her over to Fitz where a very lively conversation ensued, along with a couple of the uniformed officers that had joined them. "Dan, what the hell is he doing?"

Dan shrugged, "Who knows, Chlo. You really picked a strange one this time."

Chloe just pursed her lips to hide her grin, "He is who he is."

* * *

"Lucifer, will you teach me something?" Trixie looked up at him from the piano bench, skillfully enlarging her dark brown eyes.

The Devil turned around from where he stood on the balcony, finishing what was left of his drink. "Are you _trying_ to have your mother kill me?" he asked, sauntering over to the bar to pour himself another scotch.

"Mom's at the office with Dad and Ella. And Dad can't play piano so I think this is your jurisdiction."

"Jurisdiction? Did you swallow a dictionary?" She just scooted over, patting the black leather beside her. Lucifer sighed, doing his best to save face and act like it was such a chore, "Fine. Only because I seem to remember I owe you a favor."

"This can count as one, I guess. But you do have two left." She grinned at him, dubiously.

"Right…" he sat down, but reached a hand behind her and poked at her back.

Trixie giggled and squirmed, having always been particularly ticklish there. "Lucifer!" She squealed. "Why?"

He sighed, "Checking for wings. Wanted to make sure we weren't related with that Devilish attitude of yours."

She stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms in a pretend huff. "Well if you don't _want_ to…"

"Fine, fine. What do you want to learn? Hot Cross Buns? Twinkle Twinkle?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of Elton John..."

"Ah, right. Why don't we start with something a little easier, shall we? What about erm…" he laid his fingers on the keys while he pondered, his phone lighting up from where he'd set it on top of the piano. He glanced over to see it was nothing important, but the sexy, sweet photo of Chloe he'd snuck one morning while she was asleep gave him an idea. He reached over to place Trixie's right hand in the proper place, "Just do as I do and try to keep up."

A while later, his phone went off again. This time, a text from Chloe saying she was going to be later than she thought, there were leftovers in the fridge, and to please make sure Trixie did her homework. Lucifer looked over at Trixie who had almost mastered the first ten measures he'd shown her. "Care for a pizza, Urchin?"

"Pineapple and Canadian bacon?"

"You sick child," he rolled his eyes, punching in the order. "What do you think your mum would like on her half?"

"Anchovies," she giggled. "And chocolate syrup. Probably some pickles and sprinkles."

"And what was it the other day?" he asked, racking his brain for the archive of the Detective's strange cravings. "Do they have a glazed donut crust, do you think?"

"Take off the anchovies and I think I want that as my half too," Trixie leaned on Lucifer's arm as he ordered.

Adding in a couple safe pizzas with more normal toppings, he sat his phone down and looked at the child on his arm, rubbing his scruffy chin as be pondered. "Run through that again, I'll be right back."

"Okay!" Trixie gladly obliged, sitting up straight and putting her fingers to good use on the ivories, only messing up two of the notes. She shrugged it off and tried again, grabbing her teacher's glass and taking a sip, instantly spitting it back out. " _Blech!_ "

"Thought I drank apple juice all the day?" Lucifer snickered, popping out from behind the bedroom wall.

"Why do you _do_ that to yourself?!" She asked, licking the back of her hand to try to get rid of the taste.

"It's better as an adult," he grabbed the glass, pouring out the contents and replaced it with two fresh ones, this time filling one with a sparkling cider he'd started keeping with all of his top shelf liquor. He sat Trixie's down on the piano for her and downed his in one gulp as he reached for a small box he'd sat on the bar. "Trixie?"

"Sup, Teach?" She turned around on the bench, cocking her head at him, "What are you doing on the floor?"

Lucifer chuckled from where he kneeled. He took a deep breath and lifting the small, Tiffany blue box, slowly took off the lid. "Brat?" He started, clearing his throat. "Since your grandfather isn't around to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage, I figured I should probably ask you if you'd give me the….honor and the privilege to…officially…be your stepfather? Even knowing now who…or rather _what_...I am?"

Trixie's face broke out into a cheek splitting grin, "You're finally gonna marry my mom?!" She ran over and tackled him with as giant a bear hug as she could manage, almost causing him to lose his balance.

"If she'll let me," Lucifer laughed, righting them both, "Is that a yes?"

Trixie nodded to the box, still in his hand, "That depends. What did you get me?"

"This," he grabbed the chain and set the box on the piano bench, pulling out a small, shimmering white gold devil emoji necklace, "is a copyright infringing little bastard that you've come to associate with me." He smiled at her reaction as he reached around to clasp it behind her neck. "It's a bit egotistical of me, I have to admit. And it seems a little like dear old dad and everyone wearing those bloody crosses, but I thought you would like it."

Trixie played with it between her fingers, her eyes turning suspiciously red. She started nodding, slowly, her lip quivering before she wrapped her arms around the man's neck. "Please marry my mom, Lucifer," she pleaded into his neck.

He breathed a sigh of relief, patting the little girl's back as she damn near squeezed the life out of him. He couldn't help but laugh at the irony, thinking of the sentimental moment he'd witnessed between her and her mother, having called it great birth control. "What do you say to earning back another favor, my dubious little friend?"

* * *

Chloe jerked awake with the distinct, unsettling feeling that she was being watched. Lo and behold, Trixie was perched on the corner of the bed, surrounded by all the pictures and files the detective had been going through when she took a rather unexpected nap. In her drowsiness, she felt a rather sharp pinch of maternal guilt, trying to sit up and get all the rather graphic pictures hidden before her daughter had the chance to be truly scarred by all the burned flesh. The culprit of her nap made it slightly impossible to sit up so fast however, and she ended up with a protesting punch to the rib.

Wincing, she tried again, this time slower and far more awake, taming her hair down with her fingers. Something wasn't right. "What are you doing here, Monkey? It's your dad's weekend…"

"He's here. Downstairs," she said quietly, ringing her hands. "He said there was an emergency at Lux."

"What?" Chloe blinked the sleep out of her eyes, her heart racing as she shuffled off the bed, grabbing for the pants she'd tossed to the corner of the room. "Your dad had to respond to a call and he _brought_ you? For what, a ride-along? I'm going to have a serious talk with him." She froze, glancing around the living room as she slipped on her shoes, "Wait, where's Lucifer?"

Trixie hopped into the elevator, finger hovering over the button to go down, "He's down with Dad, helping with the investigation."

"Investiga-? What the hell happened?" She fumbled around with her gun and badge, scrambling onto the elevator in a panic. "Exactly where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"Lucifer said I could help if I came up to get you." She grinned as the doors shut.

"Did he?" Chloe sighed, patting her legs nervously, "As soon as we get down there, you're going right back up to your room, understood?"

"But mom!"

"No buts. You're eleven. You're not hanging out at a crime scene," the detective started to pace around the car. "Why is this damn elevator so friggin slow?"

"Good thing you got rid of that swear jar…" Trixie mumbled under her breath.

When the doors finally opened, Chloe pounced out as soon as she fit through the crack. "Lucifer?!" She called, scoping out the club. There was an ominously hazy blue green glow with a few uniformed officers taking notes at different points of the room. The dancing ladies on the TV screens had gone black and camera flashes went off in her peripheral vision. It was relatively quiet, except for a soft tune playing lazily down below.

She turned around to shoo Trixie back into the elevator, but she was gone, "Trixie, what did I just say?" Looking for her, she spotted Lucifer at the piano, a lit cigarette in the ashtray next to a gaudy silver skull she hadn't seen in ages. She should have known he was the source of the music. "What happened?"

"There you are!" he looked up, raising his drink to her and giving her a half grin. "Enjoy your siesta?"

" _Lucifer_ ," she hissed through her teeth, walking down the stairs. "What's going on? Is everyone okay?"

"You tell me, Detective," he grinned. "Feeling a little Deja Vu?"

"Huh?" There _was_ something very familiar about the current state of the club, but post nap fog and pregnancy brain just would not let her put a finger on what it was.

"I do believe this is where you ask me if Lucifer Morningstar is a stage name…" he carefully prodded. "I say you look familiar. Ask if I've seen you naked before." He wiggled a cheeky eyebrow at her, "I definitely have now."

She rolled her eyes, fists on her hips and tapping her foot, "Are you really playing our greatest hits again? That elevator over there goes right up to our _home_ , Lucifer." One of the cops lurking nearby came closer, handing her a rose and retreating to take more notes behind the bar. "If this is evidence it needs to be processed and bagged," she yelled after the cop, but he acted as though he didn't even hear her, keeping his back toward the piano.

Chloe looked rather exasperated, but held onto the rose, careful of the thorns. "Where's the vic?"

Before Lucifer had time to respond, another of the cops handed her another red rose as she moved to compare scribbles behind the bar.

The detective pointed the flowers at them, trying to form the words for her frustration, but instead she just mouthed a "What the…?!", her face scrunching in confusion. "Is everyone a rookie today? Lucifer? Our vic?"

"Oh yes!" He leaned an arm on the front of the piano, "Afraid it's more of a robbery than a murder, so that'd be me, wouldn't it? Owner of this lovely establishment and all."

"Lux was robbed?" Her jaw dropped as she looked around for damage. "What did they take? Were they armed?" Her brow furrowed, noticing his collar was open farther down than usual, but something else was off. He'd changed from the navy-blue suit he was wearing earlier to a dark charcoal vest and a grey button up. "Were you down here when it happened?" she asked, running her other hand through his only very slightly tousled hair, her piercing eyes softening but still skeptical.

Another female cop walked up to her, quickly handing her another rose, walking away with a suspiciously familiar, hip swaying strut, her hair tucked up into a hat. Chloe raised an eyebrow, noticing her shoes, "Okay those heels aren't exactly regulation. What's going on here?"

"What can I say? You're used to the tip top expectations of the homicide department. Robbery requires the B team," he shrugged, failing to hide the amused grin pulling at his lips at the surprisingly short officer coming up behind Chloe. "Maybe that's the C team, actually."

"Detective Decker," a surprisingly low voice mumbled from under an oversized LAPD ball cap, handing her yet another rose. This cop just so happened to be wearing a glittery pink pair of Converse sneakers and the lighting above their heads reflected off a tiny silver devil necklace she'd first noticed a few days ago.

Chloe sighed, half with relief, half with annoyance. But she smiled down at the small officer and took the flower graciously, "Thank you ma'am. Do you have any suspects in mind?"

She shrugged, the sleeves falling over her hands, and scurried over to the bar to take a seat on one of the stools.

"Lucifer, what are you doing?" the blond asked, shaking her head and waving the roses around. "Is this like...I dunno, it looks a bit like our Delilah case, but…? What are you trying to pull here? I'm guessing this was a set up? No robbery?"

"But there _was_ a robbery!" He almost looked hurt, but his eyes sparkled, putting a hand to his chest. "You stole my heart, Detective."

A very Maze-like gagging noise came from the crowd at the bar, matching perfectly with Chloe's facepalm, "What's wrong with you?" In all reality, she was a little peeved at his antics. From the way her face felt, her blood pressure had to have gone up thinking there really was a robbery right under where her family slept, no matter how many floors below. But the goofy, almost lovesick grin on his face made it very difficult to keep her irritation from deflating.

"Lots and lots of things, Chloe, but you don't seem to mind. Usually," he stood up and took the roses from her, placing them on top of the piano. He held her hands in his, causing a confused expression to spread across the woman's face. They were...shaking?

She looked back to the 'cops', seeing that Dan was the only one with a real badge. Linda, Maze, and Trixie had joined him, all in what looked like borrowed uniforms with expectant grins on their faces. She locked eyes with Dan and shrugged. He just laughed in return and gave her a subtle, reassuring nod.

"Lucifer, wha-" Chloe turned back around, her eyes growing wide at the sight of him down on one knee, her hands still in his. "Oh God…"

"Now? Really?" His face fell a bit, but he quickly shook it off and let go of one hand to snap his fingers. Trixie hopped off of the stool and ran over to give him a small black velvet box. "Thank you, Spawn." She giggled and ran back to her spot.

Chloe was breathless and, for the first time in a week or so, it had nothing to do with a certain little someone starting to push up against her rib cage. She tried to speak, but all that came out was, "Why?"

"Because I _love_ you, Detective." Lucifer chuckled a bit surprised at her reaction, though in all honesty he should have expected it for how many times they'd talked about this very thing before. "I'm not asking just because I want to make an honest woman out of you. In fact I've always been a bit confused by the phrase. It's not like my mum and dad were married. Who would have officiated that, am I right or am I right?" Linda cleared her throat at him, bringing him back to what was important. "Right. Chloe, you've given me a home for the first time since time began. You've shown me what true love looks like, what it _feels_ like. You've given me the opportunity to discover what it means to make love instead of my eons of meaningless sex-"

"Ewww…" Dan and Trixie groaned at the same time while Maze cackled and Linda grabbed for her glass of wine.

"Lucifer," Chloe blushed.

"What? I'm forever grateful that we've crossed to partner friends that hang out naked together," he winked. "Sorry. What I'm trying to say, my love...is that no one truly understands me the way that you do. You accept me for everything I am. You've seen the darkest sides of me and haven't run. You know all about my dad and stood by my side. You know my reputation but refuse to accept it, going so far as to trust me enough to get quite close to your offspring. You've made me the happiest Devil in the universe and I just want to spend the rest of our lives together. No matter how long that may mean." He gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting go. Even before he opened the box, she had tears running down her cheeks. "Will you marry me, Detective? Let me be your partner in every part of your life?"

She sniffled, almost embarrassed that her hands went up to her mouth when she saw the ring, but it was absolutely breathtaking. The band was made of the most sparkling white gold she had ever seen, cut into two intricate feathers meeting to hold a ring of small bright white diamonds, surrounding a shiny black oval cut onyx that shimmered under Lux's ceiling of light bulbs. She smiled, holding her left hand out for him to slip it on her finger. It was a little tight at the moment, but it was perfect. She just kept nodding as Lucifer sprang up to wrap his arms around her, squeezing her so tightly her feet left the ground.

He sat her back down when she squealed and looked at the bump between them, "Sorry son." He laughed, obviously relieved at her answer and gently grabbed her cheeks, kissing her as tenderly and passionately as he ever had, her hands on his back sending goosebumps down his legs.

"Don't worry guys," Ella popped out of the DJ box, her crime scene camera still flashing as she captured their kiss, a massive smile on her face. "I got it all on here, you adorable little love birds!"

* * *

"Alrighty, Mamma Decker," Ella paced along the side of the bed by the safe, her jaunty ponytail as cheerful as her smile. She had a notebook in her left hand and was checking off her list with a bright blue pom-pommed pen in her right. "Blood pressure is phenomenal, yours and junior's heart rates are both great, and come by the lab on Monday for those other fun tests. Just maybe keep it hush hush since LAPD doesn't need to know I'm using their equipment for personal stuff," she snapped the notebook shut and tossed it on the nightstand. "Honestly, had all of the mom's been as textbook as you, I might have stayed with the baby bizz."

"Just keep thinking that," Chloe mumbled under her breath, feeling a little guilty for keeping her friend in the dark for much longer than they'd meant to.

Ella turned around from where she was digging in her bag, "What was that?"

"Oh um…" she stuttered, "Why _did_ you move to forensics? You seem so good at this."

"Here, lay back," the lab tech smiled a little bashfully, fluffing a pillow for her patient. "There's reasons…" She shrugged, lifting Chloe's shirt and pulling down the stretchy fabric of the maternity jeans the wearer forced herself to buy instead of just wearing the yoga pants her fiance kept suggesting. "It's mostly because my aunt was getting ready to retire to a monastery down in Mexico City and I figured with grad school work coming up, I'd find a less stressful job."

"Stealing cars?" Chloe chuckled, both at her own joke and at the feeling of the baby squirming under Ella's hand when she found her head.

"Subway actually. I only stole cars until I graduated from high school. But I guess that's another reason I left. Even in Detroit that little factoid about myself might make some people uncomfortable with their little munchkins. But if that _and_ my little ghost thing got out, hoo…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "Are you sure you and Lucifer want me doing this?"

The mom noticed her friend's confidence being shaken and grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "There is literally no one on this planet I trust more than you for this, okay?" Ella nodded, squeezing back. "She feel okay? Everything uh...normal?" she asked, trying to cover up her nerves. Granted, everything felt a lot like it did with Trixie, but there were slight differences. _They could just be in your head, Decker. Get a grip._ She chided herself as Ella ran a hand up the baby's back.

"Well, her head is right here," the midwife smiled, finding it again a couple inches below Chloe's belly button. "I don't feel horns, so that's positive." The look on her patient's face must have made her think she was offended because she quickly backtracked, "Since her dad is Lucifer...get it?"

Chloe just laughed her nervous, high pitched laugh, "Did you check for wings too?"

"I didn't feel any," she winked, unraveling a bright pink fabric measuring tape. "Speaking of, how's Mr. Macho doing with all this? You two still uh…" she rolled her eyes into the back of her skull, put her tongue to her bright white teeth, and slowly humped air in the most Ella like fashion.

"Shh!" The woman in question laughed, though her cheeks were turning red. She put a finger up to her lips and pointed to the next room where they could hear Lucifer and Trixie at the piano. "Ohmygod, Ella," she whispered, turning a couple shades darker. "I can't keep him off of me."

Ella sat down on the edge of the bed, messing with the pink ribbon. "But do you really want to?"

Chloe sighed, "Well no, but...I think he likes the challenge? Or the...the physics? I don't know. I was afraid he'd be completely turned off by me once I started to show, but he seems to be loving this."

"Are you the only pregnant chick he's been with?"

"I guess so," she shrugged, "That's one thing, right? But let me tell you...it's intense."

"Ooooooh, maybe someday," She squealed, her eyes growing wide, "The...the preggo sex thing, not the Lucif…" she cleared her throat when Chloe started laughing, making herself move on. "How's he been with the other stuff though? Any more Braxton Hicks?"

"A couple this morning," Chloe nodded, her smile growing soft. "I can't imagine what he's going to be like when the time comes. You'd think a guy that calls himself the Devil would be a little less mother hen over someone in pain."

"Not when it's you though. He's just being a worried dad."

"I guess he is," she chuckled at the thought of Lucifer freaking out that it was too early for the baby to be coming when he'd walked in on her gripping at the kitchen counter. "I think he's read that copy of _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ that Linda bought him a hundred times, but I so much as wince and he thinks he has to call you right away."

"Explains the missed call I had the other night," she laughed, laying out the tape from Chloe's sternum to her pelvic bone. "Thirty centimeters exactly. I'm telling you, Chlo. Textbook. Only nine weeks and six days to go!" She pulled up the pants and lowered the shirt, sticking out a hand to help her sit back up. "Don't give me that look, you'll be just fine."

She sighed, her nerves shaken again by Ella's 'textbook' comment. "She's gotten to be so heavy in the last couple weeks. I don't think I'd be offended if she wanted to come a little early." The baby started kicking again, visible even from outside of her shirt. Chloe giggled, giving the area a little pat. "Yes you."

"Not too early though," Ella leaned forward, talking to her tiny patient. "Your dad wants to marry your mom before you come out." At Chloe's eye roll, she sat back, cocking her head, "What? I mean, granted I never thought of Lucifer as the kind of guy that would disapprove of having a kid out of wedlock, but...why not?"

"He doesn't care about that. He says he just wants the baby born into a solid family. Honestly with his family's history, I could completely understand that. But I keep telling him we can run to the courthouse any time he wants, but he doesn't want to 'do it that way'." She finished in air quotes, shaking her head.

"Aww, Chloe? You don't want a big white wedding? You had a courthouse wedding with Dan. Isn't it time to shake things up a little?"

"Because it worked so well the last time with...with Pierce?"

Ella pursed her lips, looking guilty. "I know. The bachelorette party was a bust...and so was the groom… But why not? It's Lucifer this time. That's completely different. You two are made for eachother."

 _You have no idea…_ "I just don't think a big white wedding in my third trimester would be such a wonderful idea. Aren't you supposed to feel like a princess on your wedding day? I'd be afraid of getting harpooned." She looked down at her belly and chuckled, "What do you think?"

"I think you should marry daddy soon anyway, mommy! You're beautiful!" Ella said out of the corner of her mouth, her voice as high as it would go. "Woah, see? She agrees with me."

"How's my little brother, Ella?" Trixie grinned from the stairs, playing with the stone wall.

"He's good kiddo! But your mom's carrying kinda high so I think it's a little sister," she folded her arms, very know-it-all esque, smiling at Chloe.

The little girl shook her head with just as much attitude, "Nu uh. It's a boy. Lucifer thinks so too."

"What do I think?" Lucifer appeared on the stairs, eyebrows raised, leaning an elbow on Trixie's head as she giggled.

Chloe laughed at the adorable sight before her. "You seem to think junior here is a boy. But my expert thinks it's a girl."

"Well there's a super easy way to tell," Ella got up, too excited to stay at her spot on the bed. "We just need some string! You dangle the mom and dad's wedding bands over her belly and if it spins around it's a boy and side to side it's a….oh yeah." She stopped, looking slightly embarrassed.

Lucifer looked like he was trying to stifle a laugh, "It's definitely a boy because they mean less drama. Supposedly. Though if my siblings are anything to go by I'm not so sure that's true." After an attempt at a threatening glare from Trixie, he nodded toward Chloe, "Ask her." he mouthed.

"Ask me what, Monkey?"

"Well…" she put her hands behind her back and batted her eyelashes. "Lucifer and I were wondering if we could all go to his Hills Estate for the night? I wanna have a water gun fight."

"It _is_ a beautiful night for it," he nodded.

Chloe's bullshit meter was on high alert since being lured down to Lux on false pretenses a couple weeks back. " _You_ want to go for a water gun fight?"

"And a barbeque. I hear that's something I should perfect as a human dad to be."

"That's totally true." Ella piped in, "What's a dad without a good burger on the grill right? Did your little teacher here also let you know that in order to be a good dad, you have to be as embarrassing as physically possible?"

"It's Lucifer, he's got that part covered," Chloe crossed her arms on top of her belly, looking skeptical. "Just a barbeque and a water gun fight?"

Lucifer shrugged, looking mildly hurt, "And a beautiful sunset. Really, Detective? Do you not trust me?"

She sighed, "Alright. I'll bite. I wouldn't mind going for a swim in that beautiful pool. Just...check your harpoon guns at the door."

"Can Ella come too?" Trixie asked, running over to throw her arms around the woman's waist.

"Oh, no." She shook her head, breaking free to start packing up her bags, "This sounds like a family thing. I shouldn't…"

"No no no, Miss Lopez. I insist. The more the merrier! Everything any of you could possibly need is already there, come on!"

"Uh...Lucifer?" Chloe stopped him as Trixie and Ella started carrying the bags to the elevator.

"We'll just meet you there?" He called to the two, turning around to see his fiance struggle to get up off the bed. "Let me help you up."

She gratefully let him help her off the bed, but grabbed his arm when she was upright. "You have a swimsuit for me that's going to fit all of this?"

He pulled her close, letting his hands wander down to squeeze her bum as the elevator doors closed. "I have a brand new red bikini in our room with your name on it." He whispered, nibbling on her ear.

"A bikini?" she asked, taking a deep breath and attempting to focus. "Please tell me it's not a thong."

The man gave a sexy, throaty chuckle, licking her earlobe and making her knees weak, "I'm saving that one for when we're alone."

On the elevator, Ella and Trixie were doing the secret handshake dance they'd developed over the past few months of Chloe's checkups. "Think she knows?" Ella asked her little buddy's reflection.

"Not a chance."

* * *

"They're going to wonder what happened to us." Chloe blushed, opening a bag of watermelon Sour Patch Kids, offering the bag to Lucifer from the passenger seat of the Mustang he'd given her.

He picked one out and wiggled his eyebrows at her, "If they only knew, Detective."

After a while, the Devil found himself watching her as they sat at a stoplight. She'd closed her eyes and leaned her head on the headrest, the hand not in the bag of candy slowly rubbing her belly, a small, completely content smile on her face.

He didn't even realize he was grinning himself until Chloe opened her eyes and looked a little startled. "What?"

"You're beautiful."

Chloe sighed, closing up the bag and tossing it aside, "Would it have been too much for your dad to give me a miraculous metabolism while he was doing whatever other voodoo he was doing to me?" She reached up to poke at her cheeks, but Lucifer grabbed her hand and played with her engagement ring. She glanced over at him, his eyes still focused on the road. "Your kid has a sugar problem."

"If that's the only problem had by the spawn of Satan, I'd say she's doing pretty well."

"She?"

"Slip of the tongue. You know how strong mine is."

"No, I think Linda would call that a _Freudian_ slip. Admit it, you think it's a girl." Lucifer just chuckled but noticed her smile fading a bit. "We have to tell Ella."

His mouth opened and closed a couple times as he tried to figure out what to say. He could feel his heart squeeze into his throat as all the different scenarios, both human and celestial, of what could happen with Chloe and the baby came trickling back into his mind. "Did she find something?"

"No," she shook her head, looking down at her belly. "She's just...warm. I mean Trixie was warm too, obviously, but this kid is a friggin furnace. Especially at night."

"Like me."

"Like you," Chloe smiled, feeling a tiny bit better. "But she has to know. If this kid comes out glowing, I don't want her to panic."

"Well, let's not give Miss Lopez an existential crisis today, shall we. Today we're going to have stupid fun as she calls it. I know how much you love that," he winked at her as she rolled her eyes. Turning the corner, he raised an eyebrow, "Speaking of, why did she park all the way back here? We're still blocks away."

"Probably someone's graduation party. Look, Lucifer um…" she grabbed the bag of candy and started playing with the plastic, absentmindedly. "About what I said the last time we were here...with the Sinnerman? I'm sorry about that. I know why you did what you did now. I should have trusted you."

Lucifer just gave her a sad smile, "Water under the self kidnapped young lady, Chloe. You _are_ going to be okay coming back?"

"I've been dying to spend a sunset out here, actually. You've had the place cleaned I'm assuming." She let go of his hand and ran it through his hair, letting her nails graze his scalp if only to selfishly enjoy the tiny shiver of pleasure he always had when she did that. "Will you be okay after everything that happened there? I half expected you to sell the place."

"And lose that sunset?"

"Um….wh...?"

"Yes, Detective?"

"Why are there white balloons on your mailbox?"

" _Our_ mailbox, Chloe," he corrected her, pulling into the garage and throwing the car in park, getting out to open her door and hold out an arm for her before she could say another word.

Her brows furrowed as she squinted up at him, "What did you do?"

"I have a small surprise for you," he grinned. "Follow me."

"...Lucifer," Chloe instantly felt anxious and a little off, having let herself be duped yet again.

He motioned for her to wait, placing his hand on the small of her back before opening the door that led from the garage to the lowest level of the house.

"SURPRISE!" her jaw dropped as she was met with a shower of white confetti and the screams of her tribe, surprisingly including Trixie and a smiling Maze.

Chloe just stood there with her mouth open in a partial smile, frozen in shock. "What's uh...what's happening here? Exactly?"

"We, my dearest Detective, are getting married today," he beamed, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Now, I didn't want you to stress one iota, so I had Miss Lopez find your aptly named, poorly hidden 'Dream Wedding' board on this Pinterest thing and give it to the designer. Strange thing to have if you'd prefer to have your wedding at the courthouse."

Maze reached out to grab her hand, guiding her into the bridesmaids' lair, a still bewildered look on her captive's face. "Come on, Decker. We only have two hours to get everyone ready."

"Guys, I don't have anything that...that fits. Lucifer?" She turned around to see her fiance wiggling his fingers at her in a wave, a Devilish grin on his face as Trixie shut the door on him.

Ella came up from behind, putting an arm around her waist, "Everything has been taken care of right down to the teeniest, tiniest of details, Chloe. It's gonna be awesome. Just relax and have some genuinely stupid fun, okay? Today's all about you."

She finally let herself breathe and looked around. The house was so light and airy and did wonders to help her calm down, even though it was a complete contrast from the dark woods and Syrian stone of the penthouse at Lux she'd grown to love. Aside from the familiar floor to ceiling windows on the west side of the house, it was fascinating that the same man could own the two completely opposite properties.

The lower level had been transformed into a giant temporary dressing room and hair salon with her friends' bright red strapless bridesmaids' dresses lined up on one wall, a small blush pink dress in the same cut but with cap sleeves for Trixie on the end. On the other wall was a long white gown, the vail carefully draped over the hanger. Chloe was instantly drawn to it, reaching out to run a gentle finger over the lace flowers, vining leaves, and subtle feathers that covered the entire garment. Between the intricate designs was a soft white mesh and the sweetheart neckline was outlined in sparkling white jewels that Chloe couldn't help but wonder if Lucifer had ordered with real diamonds. She hoped not, but it was stunning either way. "Pnina Tornai?" she whispered, absolutely astonished at the small label hanging off the sleeve.

For just a moment, she pictured herself wearing it in her usual thin frame and grinned from ear to ear.

Not to be forgotten, the baby kicked and pulled its mother from her trance. She bit her lip, putting her hands on her hips and turning around to her small audience. "He's insane. That's never going to fit _all_ of this. And white? _If_ it fits, I'll look like Moby Dick."

Trixie crossed her arms, "That's a word you said I couldn't use."

"It's the name of the white whale, Trixie. Did you know about all this?"

She just shrugged, running over to take her hand and lead her to one of the chairs in front of the brightly lit vanity. Ella, Linda, and Maze all followed, grinning expectantly and taking their seats in the chairs next to hers. Maze snapped her fingers and five very flamboyant, gorgeous male hairdressers emerged from the next room and took over.

Chloe's mind was still in a whirlwind, but she sat back, sighing happily and letting Lucifer's eccentric surprise unfold around her. He could drive her insane with all his little quirks and his recent fascination with shocking the hell out of her with surprise life events, but she had to admit, she really did feel loved. _Your dad's a whack job, kid._ She smiled, cradling her bump as she explained to the stylist what she wanted. Her stomach was still a ball of nerves, wondering how exactly they were going to squeeze her into that dress, but the butterflies and completely stress-free side to having a surprise wedding were nothing to complain about.

With fifteen minutes to spare, everyone else was dressed and ready to go with beautiful beach waves and small red and pale pink flowers in their hair, shiny black stilettos for Maze, Linda, and Ella and a brand new pair of sparkling silver Toms for Trixie. Chloe was still in the spacious bathroom with Linda in front of the floor length mirror having a minor meltdown, her dress pooled in a fluffy white cloud at her feet. She was doing everything she could to keep herself from ruining her eyeliner and mascara, but she could not get her breathing under control. "It's not going to fit…"

Linda just listened, gently scratching above Chloe's strapless bra with her freshly manicured nails. "Why don't we at least try it?" She asked cautiously, "What's the worst that could happen?"

Chloe glared at her through her lashes in the mirror, "Oh nothing, I just pop ever seam on a what, $15,000 dress…" she grimaced, thinking of what else that money could have paid for.

The therapist adjusted her glasses, kneeling down to grab hold of the dress, "As your friend, I'm going to very nicely say to buck up and just let me help you get this thing on. Trust me." The bride rolled her eyes, but took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and doing the best she could to suck in. It made a very miniscule difference, but she nodded down to Linda and nervously closed her eyes as she felt the soft fabric travel up her freshly shaved legs, sighed with relief when it cleared her belly, and blindly fed her arms through the long lace sleeves. "Well look at that," her friend smirked, effortlessly fastening the line of close buttons from her tailbone to her shoulder blades. "You _can_ trust me."

Chloe looked at herself in the mirror, twisting from side to side, turning around to look at her back. It was far from what she'd always pictured, thanks to her tiny passenger, but it wasn't half bad. The dress fit like a perfectly form-fitting glove and showed off her assets beautifully.

"Stunning," Linda nodded, smiling. "You don't even look pregnant from behind. How do you do that?"

The bride's smile faded as she held her arms in front of her bump, suddenly very self-conscious. "I can't do this, Linda."

Knowing this was just cold feet, she grabbed the vail and pinned it to the back of the halo of daisies in her hair, letting it fall back over her dark blond waves. "Why not?"

She shook her head, nervously fiddling with her bullet necklace, her eyes getting misty again, "What if I'm right about Lucifer's dad? About how we were _supposed_ to be together and...and this baby? How am I supposed to raise a Light Bringer? How do I make sure she does what she's meant to do? Being a mom is hard enough but add in the fact that this kid might have some special purpose and...and there's no way in hell I'm good enough to make sure he's ready for all that."

Linda rubbed her shoulders, letting her get it all out as she tried to hide her knowing grin, "That's why you're doing _this_. Lucifer wants the baby born into a solid family, right?" Chloe nodded. "Don't you think maybe he means solid for you and him as well? If you're right, you were literally born to raise this specific child _with_ Lucifer. Who, you know, just so happens to know all about the Celestial side of things where you know about the human side. He said a long time ago that you weren't doing any of this alone."

Chloe stood silent for a moment, trying to calm herself down. She still looked like she had something on the tip of her tongue that she didn't actually want to say. Finally, she nodded, a small smile returning to her still worried face, making her look completely perplexed. "I'm... _marrying_ the Devil, Linda."

"You are," she smiled, giving the woman a much needed hug, "Congratulations."

"Mom! Are you ready yet?" Trixie called, knocking on the door. "Lucifer sent me to give you something!"

"Love you, Linda." Chloe whispered, returning the hug before walking out of the bathroom with the therapist right behind her. "I'm ready, Monkey. What's up?"

"Woah," everyone's jaws dropped at their first sight of her in her dress. "You look HOT, Mom!" She just grinned a thank you as Trixie handed her a big bouquet of lilacs, daisies, and pink roses, pulling a long white feather from behind her back and tucking it into the bunch. "He said you should have a fresh one for your something borrowed."

"Oh really?" she chuckled, nervously looking around at her friends and shrugged. "I guess we should get up there?"

"Not just yet, Decker." Maze took off the bronze cuff she wore and carefully slipped it onto Chloe's wrist above her charm bracelet. "Something old. Forged in the bowels of hell."

"And something blue," Ella reached up under her dress and wiggled off a black lace garter, woven with a silky blue ribbon. "May I?" she winked.

"If there's room up there, sure," she laughed, covering her face with her flowers as Ella scooted it up into place.

"Do we have something new?" Linda glanced over the room, but came up short for ideas.

Trixie grinned, reaching over to pat her mom's bump, "My little brother's pretty new, right?"

Chloe laughed, "Let's just hope he lets me get through the ceremony without needing a pee break."

* * *

The sun was just starting to set, casting a beautiful golden pink glow over everything on the Hills Estate deck. A white arch was set up on the far side by the glass railing, covered in the same lilacs, daisies, and roses from Chloe's bouquet, white twinkle lights strung from the corners to the roof of the house, outlining the aisle. There were loads of white chairs, occupied with employees of the LAPD on one side and Lux staff and bigwig LA club owners on the other.

When the music started playing, Lucifer could practically hear his heart pounding in his chest from where he stood under the arch next to Fitz in his best Tuxedo. This was _actually_ happening. As Dan came down the aisle in a sharp grey suit and red tie, holding Trixie's hand, the groom looked up at the sky in a silent taunt to his dad. The Devil himself was getting his happily ever after. No matter how many curveballs his father had thrown at him, he had managed to dodge them all and find happiness. His story was _not_ over and this day was just the beginning, dammit.

He looked back down in time to see his temporary partner lean over to give his soon-to-be stepdaughter a kiss on the cheek before they went their separate ways, Trixie waving from just outside the bride's side of the arch. Dan held out a hand to Lucifer and gave it a friendly shake, taking the place at his right side. "Shouldn't your brother be in this spot?"

"He should, yes." Lucifer whispered back, "But the drama queen hasn't responded to any of my prayers. Congrats, Daniel. You're best man by default." he teased.

He just chuckled, slapping his back, "Whatever ya need, Man. I miss that guy."

Next down the aisle was Linda, followed by Maze, and then Ella. When _Here Comes the Bride_ started playing and everyone stood up, Chloe's heart was in her throat. Even though her dad had been gone since she was nineteen, she still somehow had pictured him with her, walking down the aisle and giving her away. Instead, Penelope Decker had popped out of nowhere, holding her arm out for her daughter. "Mom!"

"Hey Pumpkin!" she grinned, though met with a glare from Chloe, looking down at her bump and back at her in disgust. "Oh no! Honey, you do not _look_ like a pumpkin. Swallowed one maybe, but you are so gorgeous, baby girl. Let's get you married off to that beautiful hunk of man you caught."

Completely used to her mother's personality, she looped her arm through hers, taking a deep breath and that first step out onto the deck. Even with all eyes and smiles on her, she couldn't look away from the man at the end of the aisle. He was trying his hardest to look stoic, but coyly reaching up to rub under his nose did nothing to hide his grin. The closer they got, she noticed his eyes were brimming with unshed tears, her own growing foggy with the same. She carefully turned to wipe her eyes, but noticed an empty chair on her side, John Decker's full dress uniform draped over the back rest. She smiled as tears ran down her face, Lucifer pulling his pocket square from his jacket and handing it to her as her mom kissed her cheek and took the seat next to John's.

"You look lovely," Lucifer whispered, reaching up to wipe at his own eyes, shyly laughing at himself.

She took a deep, steadying breath, almost handing the square back to her groom, but needing it again when she saw the empty chair with a pair of Charlotte's red bottom stilettos on Lucifer's side. When she was finally able to give it back, she shook her head, "You just _had_ to go with a form fitting dress," she winked.

He practically growled, undressing her with his eyes in front of everyone. "No regrets there, Detective."

"Can I cut in here guys?" Fitz asked, causing quite the laugh from the guests. The ceremony was a bit of a blur for them both as they held each other's hands and watched the others' reaction to the Lieutenant's funny, touching, and noticeably completely non-religious speech. "Now, Chloe, we know this was all kind of sprung on you and you didn't exactly have the chance to write yours, but Lucifer said he wanted to do his own vows. The stage is yours." The lieutenant smiled, taking a step back.

Lucifer tried to clear his throat, but it was hopeless and his voice came out much huskier than usual. "Chloe Jane Decker: I am a devil of my word, and I swear to you that I will love and protect you from this day forward, laying down my life for you if so required to keep you safe. I will be your loyal, loving, goofy, supportive partner both at work and at home and will never give you any more Luciferness than you can handle. Though I know you can handle an awful lot." She chuckled, sniffling back tears again. "I swear to be by your side through every step of our lives, to never let us go to bed angry, to always let you finish first," he winked, his voice cracking, "to be whatever you need me to be, and to only teach your daughter and our child the most respectable of the morally questionable talents that will take them so far in this life." He caressed her cheek and wiped away a tear, "For as long as _both_ of us shall live, Detective."

Fitz found herself fanning her eyes with the little officiant book she was holding, "Need a minute?" she smiled at Chloe, noticing the bridesmaids were all doing much the same thing with their flowers.

"No," She shook her head, swallowing back what she could of her emotions. "But I think I can make something up on the fly here." There was a low rumble of chuckles in the audience, but she paused to collect her thoughts. "Lucifer Morningstar: Life has been...something else since I took that case at Lux. I have seen things that I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined, but I wouldn't trade a single second of the time we've been together and the time we'll have. I too swear to always be the loyal partner you can depend on, both at work and at home. I will do what I can to talk you off whatever ledges you find yourself on and to pull you out of whatever Hell you find yourself in. I promise to give you all of the unconditional love you have always deserved, and to give you the family you've always desired. As long as we _both_ shall live." She took a shaky breath, her voice having given out to a small whisper at the end.

"Who has the rings?" Fitz asked. Dan dug them out of his pocket and handed them to his boss, catching Chloe's eyes and giving her the same heartfelt nod as he had for his buddy's proposal. "Lucifer, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

He nodded, slipping the white gold, diamond encrusted band down to the onyx engagement ring. "I finally do, yes."

"And Chloe, do you take Lucifer as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes. I definitely do," she laughed, sliding the black, meteorite striped band on his finger.

"Then by the powers vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

"With pleasure, Lieutenant." Lucifer grinned, carefully dipping his squealing wife and kissing her sweetly as everyone cheered and the last sliver of the bright orange sun dipped below the horizon.

* * *

The deck had been transformed into a dance floor in no time flat, and the champagne was flowing as music blasted from the massive sound system. When the music stopped, the party vacated the makeshift dance floor and circled around the edges as a couple of the Lux employees rolled out the estate's grand piano. Linda sat down at the bench and smiled encouragingly at Trixie, standing beside her with a microphone. "Ladies and gentleman," the little girl started without a hint of hesitation, her dad grinning proudly behind her. "For the very first time as husband and wife, please put your hands together for the bride and groom, my mom and stepdad: Mr. and Mrs. Morningstar."

She handed Dan the mic and sat down on Linda's right side as the therapist started playing the Secondo part of _Heart and Soul_. The living room doors slid open and a very proud, only partially untucked and tousled Lucifer stepped out into the light of the deck, taking a bow and holding out his hand for his new bride. Chloe came out of the darkness with a huge smile on her face, her red lipstick obviously very freshly retouched.

Lucifer squeezed her hand, guiding her out to the center of the dance floor. He pulled her to him, resting his forehead to hers as the music progressed to where Trixie joined in with the familiar tune. When Chloe's lips cracked into a smile, he kissed her forehead and led her into a slow waltz, "If you'll remember, Detective, we were playing this song when you said I could always come to you when I needed a friend."

Chloe nodded, tilting her head to the side as she looked up into his deep brown eyes. "Is this why Trixie's been playing this non-stop for the last couple weeks?"

"The only flaw to an otherwise perfect surprise. Luckily Doctor Linda had a secret talent as well. Otherwise, you'd be dancing by yourself up here."

The bride chuckled. "Lucifer this is...ridiculously perfect. I didn't think you had it in you to do the, what did you call it? Till death do us part nonsense?"

"Only with you, Chloe."

She suddenly looked very concentrated, moving her hand from his shoulder to run her fingers through his hair, "What's that?" He raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly amused, but she couldn't find what she'd seen. "Must have been the light." She shrugged, resting her head on her husband's shoulder as he stooped over to hold her closer.

As Linda and Trixie finished the song to a loud round of applause, couples flooded back onto the dance floor around them as the piano was rolled away and the DJ went back to work playing upbeat, mostly classic rock hits and Chloe's favorites from the 90s. Lucifer managed to keep Chloe on the dance floor, smiling from ear to ear for most of the night. He did however ask her with annoying regularity if she was okay, if she needed more water or food, or offered to walk with her to the bathroom every time nature called so that she didn't feel like she was missing anything.

When the DJ started playing _Separate Ways_ by Journey, he felt a tap on his shoulder, turning around to see his best man. "Mind if I cut in?"

The groom just laughed, kissed his wife on the cheek, and stepped out of the way, "Remember to give her back, Daniel." He glared at him in fun, finding Trixie right behind him, holding out a hand to offer her a dance that she very eagerly accepted.

"Allow me to introduce you to the elephant in the room," he winked, shaking Chloe's hand. "Evidently it's uncommon for the bride's ex to be the groom's best man."

"It's a little unconventional, I admit. But so is almost everything else about all this," she laughed, throwing her arms around the man's neck. Their relationship had developed into a sweet, platonic friendship, but she did still love him for it and he'd always be the man that gave her Trixie.

" _If he ever hurts you, true love won't desert you! You know I still love you. Though we touched and went our separate ways!_ " Dan sang to her in his best, champagne fueled falsetto. "I'm just kidding, Chlo. I'm happy for you. I mean, I'm a little hurt that you're taking his last name when you never took mine. And it's a little weird that you're having his kid and he still calls you Detective, and that my kid lights up when he calls her Brat or Offspring, but he makes you two happy. What can I do." They both looked over and laughed at the sight of Trixie who had both sparkly silver Toms on top of Lucifer's polished black Oxfords, giggling her little heart out as he danced with her.

"They're his version of pet names, Dan. We wouldn't have it any other way." At her ex's nod, she glanced over to Maze who was grinding up against a particularly drunk Linda, Ella just as drunk and grinding up on her. "How are things with you and Maze?"

He laughed, a little startled, "We're uh...I don't know exactly. We're bros, I guess?"

"That's what they're calling it these days," Chloe teased. "Whatever you guys do, we're happy for you both. And our door is always open. We've never kicked either of you out."

Dan shook his head, an amused grin on his face, "Most awkward third wheel experience ever."

She rolled her eyes with a smile as they continued to dance to the rest of the song before Ella cut in, "Mamma Chlo Chlo!" Her midwife drunkenly hugged her from the side as Dan ducked off to try his luck with a Lux waitress he'd had his eyes on. "Please...please please...do not go into labor tonight. I wouldn't be able to help you," she slurred.

"I'll do my best!" she laughed overtop of the music. "Are you having fun?"

"Oh fuck yeah!" Ella raised her drink and wandered off again, leaving Chloe to watch as Lucifer effortlessly picked up Trixie's eleven year old frame to dance to the slow ballad that had just come on.

She saw her mom from where her head rested on his shoulder and waved her over. Lucifer turned around and put an arm around her waist, "How are you feeling?" he asked like clockwork.

"You don't want me to work too hard, but dancing the night away is just fine?"

He sat Trixie down, sending her over to run interference between her grandmother and a very skittish looking young waiter with the catering company. "Do you need to sit down for a while?"

"No, we're good." She smiled, nuzzling into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, swaying to the music. "I've been thinking though."

"Oh?"

She nodded, "Everyone keeps telling me this is my day, but you got married today too. This whole thing couldn't have happened without you."

He kissed the top of her head before resting his chin over the daisies, "But you're the beauty that stole the show."

He could practically hear her rolling her eyes at that. "This was all so beautiful and kind and I really didn't feel too much like a whale. And you remembered my dad and invited my mom. I mean I wasn't happy about that at the beginning, but I'm glad you did. It's not all about me. It's about us. It's your wedding too...so...I want tonight to be all about you, Lucifer." She stopped their swaying, pulling away enough to see his reaction. "Whatever you want to do. Just...no butt stuff. I don't want to get _that_ far away from vanilla."

Lucifer's eyes grew wide, a devilish grin spreading across his face, "Why Mrs. Morningstar. Are you saying I can break out all those things you told me to lock up when your spawn started staying at my place?" Chloe shrugged, not sure if she should be regretting her offer or not. "Did you _know_ this is where I'd hidden everything?"

"Can we uh...can we start small?"

She must have looked as worried as she felt because his eyes softened, "You're the one that holds all the power, Chloe."

* * *

It didn't take long to pour all of the guests into a fleet of cabs and limos by three in the morning. Dan had left to a mysterious phone call around one, saying something along the lines of "Another one? Where?" but refused to tell the happy couple what was going on. Trixie had passed out shortly after on one of the lounge chairs by the pool, Lucifer carrying her to her grandmother's cab when she left. Maze, Ella, and Linda all climbed into the same taxi with talks of stopping at a 24-hour taco shop, the Lux staff made very quick work of flipping the deck back to its original setup, and the LAPD weekend day shift would more than likely be extremely short staffed in the morning.

When the last guest finally stumbled off the property, Lucifer bolted all of the doors, loosened his bow tie, and grabbed his wife's hand, leading her up the stairs to the master suite.

Chloe was exhausted. Her feet and ankles felt swollen in her white flats and her back ached, but the practically giddy look on her husband's face drove her up the stairs and made her heart flutter as he turned down the lights in their bedroom. "I'll be gentle," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her and undoing the buttons down her back, each one accompanied by a light kiss to her neck and chest. With her breathing growing ragged and her limbs already feeling like jello, she unbuttoned his shirt, letting it and his jacket hit the floor before her dress puddled at their feet.

She went to undo his trousers, feeling the bulge already on her belly, but he grabbed her hands, his lips at her ear, "No no no, Detective," he whispered, his breath hot, keeping her wrists in a firm, but gentle grip as he unclasped her bra with the other. He slipped his left hand down the front of her lace panties, the cold metal of his new wedding ring sending shivers down her legs as she purred. "Okay?"

She nodded, gasping and flinching onto her tiptoes as his fingers entered her, massaging just the right places inside to make her knees go weak, his thumb doing its own vigorous work on the outside. He let go of her wrists and put an arm around her for support as she gripped onto his biceps for dear life until out of nowhere he just stopped. "Keep going," she begged.

"Lie down. I'll be right back," he guided her over to the four post bed, sitting her down before disappearing into the walk in closet.

Chloe tried to catch her breath as she pulled the daisies from her hair, but her heart was racing. She'd secretly been on the bandwagon when the _Fifty Shades_ books came out, sure, but she had no idea what Lucifer Morningstar of all people was capable of. She could breathe a little easier when he came out without a whip, but five silk ties and a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne in a silver bucket of ice.

"You did say to start light," he gave her a sexy smirk, setting down the bucket on the nightstand. He kicked off his shoes, returning to the foot of the bed to give Chloe a kiss. He scooted her back toward the center of the fluffy down comforter, laying her back and pressing just as much of his weight on top of her as he dared, running his tongue over her collar bones. When she lightly started to run her fingernails up his sides, he hummed at the tingles they left behind, but reached around to grab her hands, pinning them to the pillow above.

He let his other hand wander down to her hip, leaving goosebumps in his wake and reveling in the way her breathing changed as his hand traveled between her legs. Chloe's arms wiggled as she tried to break her wrists free, but he gave a throaty chuckle and reached for the first of the ties. He let go, sitting up to straddle her thighs and ran his lips ever so gently along her left arm before tying it to the headboard. "Still okay?" She nodded, biting her lip as he did the same to her right. Chloe gently pulled at the restraints above her head, but they were stronger than they looked. Lucifer saw what she was doing and kissed her forehead, looking at her so intently it almost broke her heart. "You know I'll let you out the instant you use the safe word, right?"

"Okay," she smiled nervously, but knew with every fiber of her being that she could trust the man she'd just promised to spend the rest of her life with, Devil or not. Satisfied that she was comfortable, he went back at it, kissing his way down to her toes, even stopping to massage her sore feet before tying her ankles to the bed posts. She felt more than a little silly, starfished out as she was, but took a deep, shaky breath as he slid a pillow under her hips and used the final silk tie to cover her eyes.

Without being able to see what Lucifer he doing, her chest started heaving with anticipation. It seemed like it was taking ages for him to touch her, but right as she was beginning to worry that he may have left the room for that cat-o-nine-tails she was so dreading, she jumped at a cold, wet sensation on her left breast. Lucifer chuckled from the same area, his hot, moist breath surrounding the cold and making her gasp as his teeth dragged it around her already sensitive nipple. She moaned, digging her head into the comforter and finding herself pulling hard at the ties as he moved on top of her to give the other side the same attention, his large warm hands on her belly.

Grabbing another ice cube, he made his way down as Chloe wiggled, the sounds she made causing his pants to grow uncomfortably tight and his ears to burn with pleasure. As he ran the ice down her belly and against her swollen bud, her back arched as she called out his name in pure extacy. He moaned, digging the ice in harder with his teeth and slipping his fingers in and out of her warmth, faster and faster as the ice melted and he replaced it with his tongue, flicking over her clit as quickly, but delicately as he could, teasing her. She panted and pulled, but the ties held as she bucked against the pillow at her back. Lucifer put his forearm around her thigh, stroking it gently as her legs started to shake and her squeals turned into high pitched grunts of bliss.

Just as he was about to send himself over the edge as well, he carefully ripped off his pants and threw them across the room, moving to kneel where Chloe's hips dug into the bed. He could tell she was trying to say his name. To beg for him to take her. But all that came out of her sweet mouth were desperate whimpers. He ran his hands lightly up her sides, getting himself into place, teasing her with his cock, his own breath coming out as low guttural moans as he bit his lip and untied her blindfold. Their eyes met and they held each other's loving gaze as he reached up to take each breast in his hands, gently rolling her nipples between his fingers, thrusting himself deep into her depths.

Her eyes squeezed shut, her head digging back as she screamed. Lucifer leaned down, moving his hands to cradle her face as he thrust, careful to not put too much weight on their child. "Chloe," he grunted into her temple. Unable to wrap her arms around him and squeeze him as tight as she wanted, she just locked eyes with him, biting her lip and smiling as her cheeks grew rosie.

Without any warning, there was a _whoosh_ as Lucifer's brilliant white wings unfurled. The look on his face was almost that of embarrassment. Had her hands not been tied, Chloe would have grabbed his scruffy cheeks. Instead, she gave him the most stern look she could muster with her eyes wanting to roll back into her skull, "Don't you dare slow down, Lucifer Morningstar. You know I love those too." She smiled, as she watched his confidence come back. Still inside, he repositioned himself above her, lifting her hips and finding an angle to better drive home his long, deep thrusts growing harder and faster as his feathers rustled with the motion.

At this angle, it didn't take long for every muscle in Chloe's body to contract. She shook violently with the most intense, longest orgasm she'd ever had in her life, the sounds coming out of her mouth almost animalistic as her body melted into the soft fabric underneath. Lucifer fell on top of her, squeezing her tightly to him as he shuttered into her, the same sounds coming out of him.

He rolled off onto his side as they both tried to catch their breath, every last ounce of effort focused into untying his wife from the bed. Their chests still heaving and their bodies glistening with the sweat of their effort, Chloe wrapped her arms around her husband and found herself running her fingers through the soft feathers of his wings, their foreheads together on the pillow. Lucifer pulled her close, running a hand through her soft hair. He sighed happily, his eyelids starting to droop, "By the way, happy Mother's Day as well, Mrs. Morningstar."

* * *

 _Now don't you fret, there WILL be more, though the next chapter may be delayed a bit as LUCIFER SEASON 4 COMES OUT IN A MATTER OF HOURS, PEOPLE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! *cough* Sorry. Anyway. Thank you for reading! I hope this killed some time for you while you wait for Netflix to refresh. Please please please leave a review. You know how much I love those. And again, I love you guys. Thanks for putting up with my fluffy DeckerStar daydreams. This story will go as planned, no matter what happens in season 4, but as I said before, anything slightly similar to what happens there is coincidence, but the more I read about it, the less I think I have to worry. But we shall see. Thank you and HAVE SO MUCH FUN WATCHING SEASON 4!_


	9. My Brat

_I don't know about you, but I've been feeling a tad blue since that season finale, soooo…let's retreat a little extra hard into some *super* fluffy LuciStuff now! Granted, this was already planned, but now I'm just feeling a lot of feels!_

 _Some little backstory things are very different from the show now, but as I said before, anything too close to what actually happened in season 4 is a coincidence. Though, admittedly, I did have to change a couple little lines in here after a certain ceiling fan scene...LOL_

 _I ain't even mad. ;)_

 _PS: Special thanks to Always108 for their DeckerStar video that's been going around Facebook and for the inspiring this first scene..._

Chapter 9

" _And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to Heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now…_ "

Lucifer smiled softly at the sight of his new bride lounging on the white leather couch in the living room, absentmindedly singing along quietly while he played. For having been a child actress, she couldn't quite carry a tune, but her voice still gave him butterflies. He rolled his eyes at himself and made a mental note to swing by Lux for a shot of manhood after everyone had fallen asleep.

Still singing the next verse and scrolling through her phone, Chloe awkwardly rolled over to her side and fluffed her pillow, pursing her lips in embarrassment when she saw him watching her from across the room, "Shut up."

He just chuckled and shook his head, " _And I don't want the world to see me, 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's meant to be broken, I just want you to know who I-_ Chloe?" He cut the verse short and crossed the room in two steps, carefully taking a seat on what little room was left. Her eyes had squeezed shut and she was gripping at the pillow, her skin pale. He already had his phone out, but she grabbed it and threw it down by her feet. "Well that was excessive."

"I'm fine, Lucifer." She loosened her grip, rubbing her lower belly. "Braxton Hicks. It's normal."

"I know it's _normal_ , but it's still rather unsettling," his own tension noticeably eased when she started talking, but his eyes were still weary, focusing hard on hers.

Chloe just laughed, pulling on his shoulder to sit herself up, "Want to see what I was working on to get your mind off the big scary baby?"

He scoffed at her in fun, but threw an arm around her shoulders and cuddled up close. "Figuring out how to redecorate the estate now that you've forced us out of the penthouse?"

"I didn't _force_ anybody. I just suggested it was a little more kid friendly here and you agreed."

"There were _tears_ , Detective. It was either that or risk being killed in my sleep."

"Well, sometimes…" she nodded, trying to look innocent, "the hormones work in my favor. What can I say? Besides, you're the one that's been freaking out about the railings on the balcony lately."

The Devil shuddered beside her, thinking of the images from the nightmare that kept creeping into the back of his mind lately. Resting his head on hers, he swallowed hard and brushed it off. "Yellow?" He cringed, looking at her phone. "You want to paint the nursery yellow?"

"Well not the whole thing. Just one wall and throw in some yellow accents. Maybe...I don't know...hippos and puppies?" She could feel him shaking with laughter, no matter how hard he was trying to hide it.

Lucifer cleared his throat when he noticed how rigid she'd become. "Hippos and puppies? Did Maze leave brownies for you again?"

"Well, what do _you_ suggest? Flames and vintage cars?"

"Well not _flames_ , no. I do like the car idea though."

"And if it's a girl?" she pulled her head away from his, raising an eyebrow.

"Then she'll have excellent taste like her sister," Lucifer put a hand over the visible twitch under his wife's shirt. "He's very clearly protesting the yellow."

"Okay, fine. Then we compromise with green. A lime-ish, bright cheery green."

He laughed against her neck, having moved her hair and was doing his best to distract her. "Why don't we just let the decorators do their job so you don't have to worry your pretty little head about it."

"That sounds completely impersonal," she groaned. "This is part of the fun. What's going on with you lately?"

Her words stung. He'd been trying so hard to remain as involved in everything as he possibly could, but there was a sense of foreboding that tightened his chest at the thought of her due date so quickly approaching. It had already been almost a month since the wedding, and no matter how uncomfortable he could tell she was, she insisted she was not slowing down.

"I just don't want you to overdo everything. I'm worried about how much you have on your plate at work with this deranged pyro is all," Lucifer sighed. "The decorators can come in, throw together the basics, and in the next six weeks we can add the little personal touches if you want."

"Lucifer, I painted Trixie's entire room when Dan was at work one night while I was already on maternity leave," Chloe ran her fingernails over the smooth, muscular arm across her belly. "I do love coming home from work and being lazy every once in a while. You know, like tonight. But I'm not some princess that can't do anything for herself."

"I do realize that, yes." _But things are a little different this time, aren't they?_ he thought, that sense of dread creeping back up from the pit of his stomach. "But I'm nothing if not generous, right?" he nuzzled her cheek and gave a low, sexy growl.

Chloe finally laughed, leaning back into her husband's arms, enjoying the belly rub more than she wanted to. "Just the basics? They do the painting, I do everything else?"

"You're putting the crib together?" he chuckled. "Sure your current center of gravity would allow that?"

"Jerk!" she elbowed him in the ribs. "But I probably could use some help."

A sleepless, stressful, cocaine fueled run-in with IKEA flashed up from Lucifer's memories as she batted her eyelashes at him. "Let's uh...let's let the professionals take care of that part as well. Trust me." He went quiet a moment, his arm around Chloe's shoulders squeezing a little tighter as he thought about the dark times around that particular period in their lives. He heard her gasp for air and flinched away quick, afraid he'd hurt her.

Instead, she had a hand on the top of her bump, trying to gently coerce the baby back down from where it'd been stretching. "Okay, Honey. I know you're running out of room, but mommy needs her lungs," she winced.

Lucifer froze, "Should I call Miss Lopez _now_?"

The mom shook her head, "No, it's fine. She'll settle down in a bit." She kissed his cheek and stubbornly struggled her way off the couch until submitting to his help. "I'm just gonna go unpack a couple boxes before Dan brings Trixie home."

Just as Lucifer was about to remind her to leave anything too heavy well enough alone, the front door opened and Trixie came running up the stairs, Dan walking up behind her. "Ah! Speak of the me."

"Hi Lucifer!" Trixie grinned, plopping down her school bag.

He nodded to her, noticing something was very slightly off, but couldn't put a finger on what it was, "Urchin."

Chloe had turned around and was making her way to her daughter with open arms and a huge, beautiful smile, waddling ever so slightly. "Hey Monkey! How was your night with Dad?" The little girl's grin faded to a look of pure annoyance as she pulled away from her mom's grip, leaving her wide blue eyes a mix of confusion, anger, and heartbreak. "Wha-? Trix?"

Tixie folded her arms and set her jaw, "You won't take me camping on the last day of school like you _promised_ we would do every year. And now Dad's going to San Diego to look for a bounty with Maze."

"I think you mean, 'Booty'," Lucifer snickered from where he was pouring himself a drink.

Both Dan and Chloe threw a glare in his direction. "Baby, we talked about this. I just can't go camping right now. I wouldn't be any fun and your little brother or sister keeps me tied pretty close to the bathroom."

"Munchkin, I said I was sorry," her father knelt down in front of her, his hands on her arms, "but Maze asked me for help a while ago and she just got a lead pinpointing this guy at the zoo bright and early Saturday morning. I'll take you camping on my weekend, okay?"

Her brow furrowed, scowling at her mom before wiggling out of Dan's grip and running up the stairs to slam the door to her new room. He sighed, standing back up and shaking his head, "I'm sorry Chlo. She was fine most of the night. I don't know where that came from."

"It's been going on for a few days," Chloe smiled sadly, easing herself onto one of the barstools at the counter. "She's perfectly fine with Lucifer but the claws come out whenever I so much as say hi."

Her ex laughed, "You never had siblings. She's probably just acting out because she's realizing she won't have your undivided attention anymore. Right Lucifer?"

"Right..." he nodded, noticing the defeated slump Chloe's shoulders had taken. "Though my parents were more distracted by Dad's holier than thou need to control the universe than the younger of our siblings, I'm afraid."

Chloe looked extremely concentrated, fiddling with her charm bracelet. "No. That's not it. She's been so excited. It's gotta be something else. Do you think maybe she's getting bullied at school again? Or...or she's mad at me because I suggested we move?"

"It'll be fine," Dan shrugged, rubbing her shoulder and making his move to leave. "You coming into the station tomorrow?"

The same jaw setting glare Trixie had used spread on her own face. "Oh I dunno, Dan. Maybe I should just skip for another week while you hide the fact that there's a third body from not only me, but your stand-in partner."

Lucifer suppressed a snort, momentarily amused at Chloe's attitude toward the Douche as he disappeared down the stairs. "Turns out she's still a bit miffed about that, Daniel!"

"I know! I should've ruined your wedding night!" He called back, before the door shut.

Chloe took as deep a breath as she could sitting down. She huffed, downing the glass of water Lucifer had just put in front of her. "I can't believe him."

He leaned his elbows on the counter and locked eyes with her, unable to hold back a devilish grin, "I dunno, Detective. I'm glad he saved our wedding night, aren't you?"

"I guess," she tried not to smile. "But he could have told us the next day instead of waiting until we went back to work."

"He and Fitz had everything covered, Detective. They were just doing us a favor and made a little progress in the case without us. Without you," he proceeded with caution, noticing an eyebrow go up just ever so slightly. "Which means you could take some time off. Rest up and all that."

She rolled her eyes, sliding off the stool, "I'm gonna go try to talk to Trixie."

"Uh-hu," he nodded, accepting the defeat he knew was inevitable. Still leaning on the counter, he ran his thumb around the rim of his glass and watched Chloe slowly make her way up the stairs to be greeted at Trixie's door by a loud guitar riff. He had to laugh as she threw her head back and tried knocking again. "Still hoping for another girl?"

* * *

Chloe turned out the light and quietly shut the bathroom door for the third time since going to bed that night. She sighed, completely exhausted and more than a little anxious. The baby had been doing it's best Jackie Chan impression since her little argument with Trixie, and every time she got close to drifting off to sleep, her little angel would either kick her in the ribs or punch her in the bladder. She stretched her back out as best she could, tiptoeing back to bed, but it didn't help much.

"Should I just move the bed in there?" Lucifer gave her a pitifully encouraging smile, leaning up on his elbow and moving the blankets out of the way.

She climbed back in bed, a more cumbersome task than she liked to let on. "Sorry," she sighed sheepishly, trying to find a comfortable position on her back. "Did I wake you?"

"No, but you haven't slept yet, have you?" he asked, seeing her bleary eyes in the light coming from the wall of windows.

"Have you ever tried sleeping with a bowling ball under your shirt?"

"Can't say that I have," he laughed, slipping a hand under her silky nightgown and was greeted by an elbow pushing back. "Didn't spend a lot of time on Earth in the 80s. The hair freaked me out." Chloe chuckled, partially at the joke, but more to cover up a wince. It didn't fool the worried dad, "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"

She smiled at him, truly touched by the concern in his eyes. "I don't know," she shrugged. "I don't know how I'm supposed to last six more weeks like this. And…" her voice broke, which only made her more frustrated, "now we have a full blown serial killer out there and Trixie hates me and I only have so much time left with her…"

Lucifer's hand on her belly stopped, "What?"

"As uh… as my only baby," Chloe stammered nervously, noticing the dark, almost scared tinge return to her husband's face.

"Right," he still looked skeptical, but didn't have the heart to expand on what she meant. "Here, you shouldn't fall asleep on your back."

"Remind me to hit Linda with that book the next time I see her," she rolled her eyes, resisting his help. "I'm fine. Nothing's going to be comfortable anyway. Go back to thinking only about yourself, please."

"Shhh, let me see what I can do. I've been doing my fatherly research, you know."

"Pinterest, Lucifer. I showed you Pinterest and I thought you learned your lesson with those hard boiled egg mice you sent to school with Trixie."

"Okay so those were a tad too juvenile, I admit. But I think this might help. Just relax." He scooted her over to his side of the bed, relieved to hear her laugh, even if she _was_ making fun of him.

He pushed her up to put one of the extra pillows behind her back, rolling her to her left side. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked as he straddled her hip. "Just because we have a door now doesn't mean you have to hump my leg."

Lucifer had to take the opportunity to do just that and sent her into a fit of giggles before plopping down beside her and scooching close with her belly on his. Once she finally relaxed into him, her right leg over his thighs and her head on his chest, he could feel her tension lifting as he ran his fingers through her hair and she played with his wedding ring. "Better?"

She sighed happily, kissing his smooth, chiseled chest, "A little."

"Good," her warm, soft weight let him relax a little himself, the baby squirming enough so he could feel it. "It's going to be just fine, remember?"

"I know. I just don't think it's the baby. She treats that doll like it's her little sister and she's so good with it. I don't understand," she paused. "Maybe you could take her to school tomorrow? See if your mojo works on her and figure out what's going on?"

"I would never use it on her," Lucifer laced his fingers with hers on his chest. He took a deep breath, weighing his options. "I _could_ take her to school though. See if I can get anything out of her on the way."

"Would you?" she looked up at him with big, grateful eyes. "Don't feel like you have to."

"She's my Brat," he laughed. "If she's actually going to _be_ a brat, especially to her mum, I want to know why."

Chloe smiled, her heart fluttering as she traced the freckles on Lucifer's chest. "What's been keeping _you_ up all night?"

"It's the bowling ball, I'm afraid," he moved their hands down to Chloe's bump. He didn't say anything for a while and just took it all in from her warm breath on his chest, the way her hair tickled his arm, and the subtle movements from under the covers that left him excited and terrified at the same time. Finally, he sighed, unsure if the woman in his arms was even still awake. He almost hoped she wasn't. "Is he going to rebel against me like I did to dear old dad?"

"She might." She shrugged, a very soft chuckle escaping her lips, "When you don't let her dress like Maze or when she brings home a boy just like you that you really don't like."

"Devil forbid. Literally," he thought about it for a moment, his stomach turning. "Keeping two little girls safe from all of the terrible monsters out there sounds exhausting, if not impossible. Is it selfish to hope for a boy because it just sounds easier?"

"A miniature Lucifer? What part of that sounds easier?"

"You're in there too, Detective. Hopefully more so."

Chloe reached up to plant a kiss on his jaw, "He's not going to rebel. You're not going to send him off to oversee the torture of anyone or ruin his reputation for all eternity. We'll love him the way you always should have been loved, and you know that."

He smiled down at her, but was a little startled by a particularly hard kick he felt on the side of his torso. "I think your mum would appreciate it if you put the Bruce Lee movies away for the night."

"Um...Lucifer?"

"What is it?" he asked, her tone putting him in partial panic mode. "Are you having pains? _Now_ can I call Miss Lopez?"

"No no...not that. It's still too early. It's uh… Is she uh…" she almost started hyperventilating. "Is she stretching out her wings? Because I really...really don't know how that's going to work when it comes time for the uh….oh God…she's not going to fit is she?" Lucifer started laughing, in spite of himself. Chloe struggled to sit up, looking hurt, "This isn't funny! They could get caught!"

Chloe demonstrating with her arms just how the wings could be an issue did not help wipe the grin from the father's face. "Chloe. Chloe, shh. She's not stretching her wings, you have my word." He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, pinning the makeshift wings, "They're not exactly there yet. It's fine. He's probably just kicking like a normal baby."

Tears started running down her face, "You don't know that. This is serious."

"Seriously inaccurate. Breathe," he rubbed her back to calm her down. "First of all, he might not have them. He _is_ half human."

"She might though…"

"She might, yes. But they're a bit like testicles." He instantly felt less worried when he heard her snort. "They're there. But they're not really there, you see? If he has them, wings I mean, they won't exactly um...work until he's about Trixie's age. When they uh...drop...sprout more like."

Chloe shook, this time with laughter, as she pulled away. Her eyes were still red and brimming with tears, but she was smiling, "Are you saying you went through some sort of...celestial puberty?"

"I did," the angel shuddered. "A very very very long time ago, and it's one of the very first things I remember, actually. Much more embarrassing than human puberty too, I'm sure."

She tried to hide her amusement, but was failing miserably. Taking his hand and caressing his cheek with the other, she cocked her head at him. "Want to talk about it? For uh...parental reasons? I should know what my kid might go through," her mouth twitched, picturing him as a gangly teenager with acne and a squeaky voice.

"Only because you put it that way," he raised an eyebrow at her, seeing just how amused she was. "There's um...feathers that get everywhere. And you know how baby birds are a bit patchy?" Chloe had to cover her mouth as she nodded. "Imagine breaking the contents of a shelf with a spontaneous unfurling of a mostly bare, partially fuzzy, raw chicken wing…"

She couldn't control it anymore and busted out laughing, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh."

"No you shouldn't. It was a very trying time for me." Lucifer laid back down in a huff, but was secretly enjoying how happy his wife sounded after the last few days of stress.

"You laughed at me thinking our baby's wings were going to get stuck in my hooha. I get to laugh at your awkward angel boner."

"Fine, fine. I take it back. I apologize."

"Nope," Chloe shook her head, cuddling back down into his arms. "I'm still picturing it. I wish you had childhood photos."

"Maybe there's a cave in the Middle East with a depiction," he said dryly as she was finally able to control her laughter.

"Oh no…" She went very still before whispering to herself. "I thought I had more time."

"What is it?" Lucifer flinched, perpetually ready to jump out of his skin anymore.

The mom sniffled, "I think that might be what Trixie's going through."

"Ah. No. I've checked to see if she had the ridges before."

"The...what?"

"Ridges. On her shoulder blades. You don't have them either. I checked a long time ago when we first started working together and I couldn't win you over with my charms," he smirked.

Chloe shook her head against his chest, "No, I mean she's only eleven, but I think she might be getting her period."

"Oh!" Lucifer's eyes grew wide as he grimaced. "Right. Well if that's the case, I'm not talking to her about it. Good night."

She rolled her eyes and patted his chest, "That's okay. If the baby's a boy, you get to have the talk with him."

"With pleasure."

"On second thought, I think I'll just take care of that subject regardless."

He kissed her forehead, "Go to sleep, love."

"I want to," she groaned, flipping up the covers. "But a certain someone just decided to play _Rocky_ with my bladder again."

Lucifer just chuckled, trying to stay awake long enough to make sure she was comfortable again when she got back.

* * *

Chloe woke up the next morning in what could only be described as a nest of pillows. Lucifer had replaced himself with one under her belly and had somehow managed to get one between her legs without waking her up. She couldn't help but smile as she yawned, feeling much more rested than she had in a long time.

Until she realized it was a Thursday and the sun was shining just a little too brightly into the big white room to be the time it usually was when she woke up during the week. "Lucifer," she hissed through her teeth, grabbing for her phone to check the time and realizing her alarm had been turned off. It was already 8:00. She scrambled as quickly out of the nest as she could, regretting having to do so, and was about to head down to the kitchen when nature called. "Child, I swear…"

Ten minutes later, Chloe made her way down the stairs, fully dressed, to see Trixie chattering happily with her step dad, finishing up her toast at the breakfast bar between the living room and kitchen. The cook sat on the counter with a piece of bacon, looking dapper in a tan suit. "Detective!" He smiled up at her, "I was just about to come wake you."

She pursed her lips, trying to be angry. Her hair was a little greasy from the lack of a shower, but throwing it into a bun hid it well enough and that extra hour of sleep did do wonders. "Morning you two," she smiled, kissing her daughter on the cheek. Trixie tensed up and grew quiet. "Monkey, can we talk quick before Lucifer takes you to school?" She looked up in time to see him scurry off with another piece of bacon.

"I'll be outside!"

Chloe would have found it hilarious that the Devil was so skittish about a little blood had she not been so heartbroken that her baby was growing up so fast. Taking a seat on the stool beside her, she tried to grab her hand. "Trixie, I am so sorry. I didn't even think about having supplies on hand since I don't need them at the moment and you're so young for it… Are you okay? Does your stomach hurt at all? Have they even gone over this at school yet? I probably should have come to talk to you after I figured out what was going on last night, but I didn't know for su-"

"Ohmygod, Mom! Gross! I'm not on my friggin period, okay!" Trixie jumped down from her stool, grabbed her backpack and ran past a very wide-eyed Lucifer.

"Forgot my keys…" he said, a tad flustered, grabbing them from the bowl.

Chloe sighed, looking completely defeated. "It's the baby, isn't it?"

"Possibly." Lucifer went over to give her a quick goodbye kiss and rubbed her shoulders, "Look, I'm not exactly the expert on human sibling rivalry here. Our family feuds usually involved locusts and floods. But whatever it is, I'll get down to the bottom of it and meet you at the precinct, alright?" She nodded, giving him a sad smile. He patted her belly, gave her another quick peck on the temple and headed down the stairs to the garage. "There's a plate for you in the oven!"

Lucifer hit the button to unlock the sporty black, top of the line Range Rover he and Chloe had compromised on when she said they needed something a tad more family oriented. It had all the bells and whistles, looked as sexy as an SUV possibly could, and went from zero to sixty like a bat out of Hell, but it wasn't the same. The unassembled car seat still in the box on that side of the garage screamed domesticity almost as loudly.

Trixie cleared her throat from the driver's seat of his beloved Corvette, jingling his keys at him. He turned around, grinning, "You read my mind. Hop over."

"When do I get my driving lesson?" she asked, clearly disappointed, but doing what she was told.

"Maybe when your mum's not home," he winked. "Come on, let's get you to school."

"Ugh, she ruins everything." She fumed, folding her arms and sitting in silence until they hit the freeway.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow at her, finally breaking the silence. "What's going on with you lately, Brat?"

She rolled her eyes, "Nothing."

"Trouble at school? Cause there's only today and tomorrow left. It can't be that bad."

"No."

"Are you having problems with a bully again? You know I'd enjoy helping with that. It was kind of fun last time."

"No."

"Is it because we moved? I miss the penthouse too, but we can always go visit. Your mum's right about the estate being more child friendly, as much as I hate to admit it…"

"No."

He grimaced, "Female issues I don't want to know anything about?"

"Eww, no."

"Thank Dad," he sighed, not exactly sure what he would have done had her answer been any different. "Problems with your friends?"

She huffed, "Stop, Lucifer. Just let it go."

"Well well well, hello Miss Attitude," he was a little shocked. She'd never sassed back to _him_ before, at least not seriously. He felt a strange mix of rage and pride. "Care to tell me why you're being such a little bitch to your mum then?"

"I don't have to tell you anything. You're not my dad."

"No, I'm not," he was actually starting to feel a little hot under the collar, but decided to keep pushing it to see if that would get him anywhere. "But I love your mother very much and seeing you be so terrible to her makes me lose a little respect for you. See where I'm going with this?"

"Whatever," Trixie rolled her eyes, flipping her hair in a way that rubbed Lucifer the exact wrong way.

He had to admit, he was torn. He wanted to use his mojo on her to make this whole process quick and easy, but he swore to himself he'd never use it on anyone he cared so much about. On the other hand, he thought maybe a quick flash of his red eyes might do the trick, but all the anxiety and heartache of his nightmare came flooding back to him and almost made him drift into the other lane. He could yell at her, really scare the bejeezus out of her in an attempt to set her straight, but he wasn't that guy. In all reality, he was, but not to her. She'd seen his Devil face, but in her eyes he was still her mum's guardian angel. He really did want to keep it that way.

Brow still furrowed, partly in anger, partly in confusion, he looked over and saw the little girl's face through her hair, blowing in the wind. Even with his eyes still their human brown, her expression somewhat resembled what he'd seen in his nightmare when she saw his true face. There was fear and a little hurt, all trying to play off as anger. He sighed and turned on his blinker, cutting across traffic to take the next exit.

"This isn't the turn for my school," Trixie pointed out condescendingly.

"Thank you, I had no idea," he sassed back, turning onto a road toward the coast.

About half an hour later they arrived at the Santa Monica Pier. As soon as Lucifer parked the car, Trixie got out and gave him a very catty glare, one hand on her hip, looking so much like her mother it made him pause. He tucked her backpack in the trunk and went around to join her as she started off toward the entrance. "What are we doing, exactly?" she asked in her spot-on Detective voice.

He looked at his watch, "Park opens in ten minutes. I'll make you a deal."

"I'm not turning in any favors today, Lucifer."

"Call it a new one," he pulled out his flask for a quick drink, making eye contact with a rather disapproving older woman on a bench with a chihuahua in her bag. He shrugged it off and took a swig before tucking it back into his pocket. "I call your mum, tell her I took a wrong turn taking you to school, because technically that's not a lie, and tell her I won't be joining her at the precinct today. We ride some rides, blow a stack of cash on crooked games, eat junk food, and generally play hooky to celebrate your last day of...what grade are you in again?"

"Sixth…?"

"Right. How does that sound? Step-Daughter Devil Day, if you will."

She raised a suspicious eyebrow, "In exchange for what?"

"You tell me exactly what's going on so you can stop breaking your poor mum's heart. She really misses _you_ you."

"I guess," she stuck out her hand for him, but pulled it away when he went to shake on it. "But...you have to win that giant pink monkey for me before we leave."

"Alright, I'll go call the Detective." He shook her hand, "Go take a seat. Preferably far away from Miss Happy and her Hellhound. For how small they are, you'd be amazed at how many chihuahuas end up in Hell." Trixie giggled, the chip slowly coming off her shoulder, and sat down at an empty section of the pier where he could still keep an eye on her while he made the call.

She was swinging her legs off the side of the bench when he joined her, stuffing his phone back in his pocket. "Okay, Spawn. Your turn. Let's chat." She kept her mouth shut, looking down at her shoes. "Brat?"

"What are you going to do? Whip out your Devil face? That was kind of your one big poker chip with me and you already spent it."

"Or we can go to school. You'd probably be in more trouble for being late though…"

"Okay, fine!" She sighed, "But you have to promise you won't hate me."

"You're eleven, what could you possibly do to make the Devil hate you? Besides, you know, being eleven."

"I don't want mom to have the stupid baby, okay?"

She got up and started walking away, but Lucifer grabbed her hand and pulled her back to her seat. "So it _is_ about the baby." He knew he shouldn't feel too guilty about it and, according to past discussions with Linda, this was perfectly normal. However, 'shouldn't' and 'didn't' were two completely different things and human emotions were far more complex than he was used to, no matter how long he'd been on Earth this time.

Trixie couldn't look him in the eyes, "I'm sorry. I just… I don't think I even like babies. They all look like potatoes and all they do is sleep and poop."

"You're not entirely wrong there," the father-to-be laughed. "But I thought you wanted a little brother or sister for Christmas? It was in your note to Santa."

"I guess I kinda wanted one that was already grown."

"Ah," he grinned. "Is that all? You're mad at your mum because she's going to be having a slimy, snotty, poopy potato creature soon? Because that's not entirely her fault...as uh...as I know you know." He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "And you're not exactly treating me the same way you're treating her."

She finally looked at him, a little bashful. "Hannah M. says that because I'm not actually your kid, after the baby's born, I'll just be a nuisance to you and you'll send me to a British boarding school."

"Does she?" he asked, a little taken aback. "And lose my apprentice in all things dark and scheming? I think not. Who would continue our piano lessons or the secret guitar lessons? You have a lot left to learn, Young Padawan. And besides, your mum would never allow it. I've already asked." He winked and was met with a swift punch to the shoulder.

"But on a serious note, you know that little potato thing is going to be a lot of work. Your mum's a pro, but I'm an all out rookie at this. I mean I have not got the foggiest idea of what I'm doing, so don't ever feel like we're ignoring you if the baby takes a lot of our attention for a while. If anything it'll just mean more time with your dad. Granted he's not your dear old step-devil, but as douchey as he can be, he's not a consolation prize either. Not to you anyway."

Trixie smiled, but was obviously still deep in thought. "Is this how you felt when your little siblings were born?"

He laughed, "I have no idea, actually. I don't remember them not being there, even though I'm older than a few of them." He paused, wondering how best to explain it all to her. "You know your dad's girlfriend? Or um...was…"

"You mean Charlotte?"

"I do," he nodded. "The Detective hasn't quite wrapped her head around all this just yet, but there for a while, Charlotte Richards body was carrying around _my_ mum's uh...Celestial light. Her soul, essentially. So for a while, Charlotte wasn't there, and my mum was. The Goddess of all creation. Still with me?" she nodded so he continued, impressed, "Well she and Dad...God...ended up pitted against each other when Dad got too preoccupied with his humans here on Earth. So mum kept causing all these terrible things to happen on Earth to get his attention and even tried while she was in Charlotte's body and almost killed _your_ mum, right here. Don't worry, I wasn't ever going to let that happen," he added quickly at Trixie's rather large eyes. "I pushed her into her own universe right down there on the beach. She's no longer a threat. To your mum or my sanity."

Trixie scratched her head, a bit confused. "I follow, kinda, but what does that have to do with what I'm going through?"

"Long story short, their neglect for each other caused a lot of neglect for their children so yours truly decided to start a rebellion and got himself kicked down to rule Hell for all eternity. Or at least up until around 2011 anyway." Lucifer smiled, "It means, my little Hellion, that I know what it's like to be neglected by someone because they have something new in their lives."

"Like when mom was with Marcus instead of you?"

"Have you been spending time with Doctor Linda behind my back?" he leaned away, giving her a side eye. "That works too, yes. I'm not going to send you off just because you're not _technically_ my child. That doesn't make you any less my partner in crime. Understood? That and I'm going to need your help because I don't know how to be a dad. Mine wasn't exactly anything to go off of."

She nodded, leaning against his arm. "I guess I just wish you loved me is all. A new kid that's actually _yours_ is only going to mean less of that for me."

So she didn't totally understand after all. He smiled sadly as her words sliced through his heart. "Trixie, do you not think I love you?" She shrugged so he knelt down in front of the bench and took her hands in his, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "I don't say it very often, because before your mum, as cheesy and sappy as it sounds, I didn't really know what it felt like. But...I do. Very much. You are the first small human offspring in _all_ of history I've ever actually wanted to spend time with. The first one I ever played board games with or let pick out the movie. I mean, you're the first one I've ever carried off to tuck into bed when you kept passing out on my custom Italian leather settee.

"Do you know, when you came up with better fake swear words than I did, I couldn't process what I was feeling without Linda telling me I was proud of you. I'd simply never been proud of a small human before. I didn't know I _could_ be." He gently poked at her Devil emoji necklace, "But aside from that, I probably should have explained this a bit better."

"You said you were asking me if you could marry mom since grandpa's not alive."

He nodded, "But I was also asking if I could be your step dad, remember? Which means I want to watch you grow up. And I want to help your mum and dad watch over you and protect you until someone else comes along to take over that job." She giggled, rolling her eyes in embarrassment. "You think it's funny now, but someday you'll bring home a boy that's going to have to face a Demon, a therapist, two detectives, and an Angel if Amenadiel ever decides to show up again. None of which will think he's good enough for you. But if they do approve, he comes to the Devil himself, and I show him exactly what's waiting for him if he ever does anything to hurt you. Granted if he craps his trousers at that point, he's not strong enough to handle you anyway."

"Obviously," she nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"That silly little devil is to remind you how much I love you and just what I would do to keep you safe. Just because you're not my flesh and blood doesn't mean I wouldn't put mine in harm's way to save yours. Got it?"

"Got it," she nodded. "So was it love at first sight?"

"Hardly. You didn't have your two front teeth. More like keeping an eye on the competition."

"I was in trouble because I was being bullied. That makes me competition?"

"It's not like I haven't been bullied by a certain someone," he rolled his eyes up to the heavens. "And I'm supposedly the scariest being in the universe. I think it was the kicking the girl in her 'No no touch touch square' as you called it, that sealed the deal for me though."

Trixie laughed and gave her step dad a kiss on the cheek. "I love you too Lucifer. Even if you are getting a little soft."

"Oh soft, huh?" He flashed his red eyes, much to her amusement, and popped up from where he'd been kneeling and smoothed out his suit, "Let's see who does all the screaming on the roller coaster, shall we?"

By 3:30, both Trixie and Lucifer were completely wiped out as they pulled into the driveway of the Hills Estate, a particularly large, neon pink monkey strapped to the back end of the Corvette. "Right, your mum won't be home for another couple of hours. Let's get this thing up to your room befor- Hello, Detective!" He grinned as Chloe sauntered out of the garage, still dressed for work.

The monkey's arms were draped around her husband's and daughter's shoulders like a drunk college student causing quite the hilarious picture, "Who's your new friend?"

"Lucifer won her for me at the uh...school carnival."

"Oh. Cool!" She nodded, giving a side eye to the man, doubled over so Trixie could help carry it. "Why don't you go show her around your room. I'm sure she'd love your Martian."

"Will do!" Trixie ran off, but dropped the animal long enough to give her mom a hug without saying a word.

When the door shut behind her, Chloe shook her head at Lucifer, but couldn't keep a straight face. "She hugged me," her voice broke and tears welled up in her eyes.

"It wasn't necessarily the baby, Detective. It was me." He shrugged, wrapping her in his arms. "One of the Hannahs told her I would send her off to boarding school once the baby was born and she was just taking it out on you. She didn't realize I kept her around because I actually like the little urchin."

"Thank you," Chloe grabbed his scruffy cheeks and pulled him down for a kiss. "The school called. Must have been a hell of a wrong turn to get you two stuck in Santa Monica all day."

"How did you-?"

"A couple unis were joking on the scanner about a black 1962 Corvette with a bright pink monkey tied to the back," she just laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, their foreheads together. "Still afraid you're not going to make a good dad?"

He sighed, "Always."

"That's normal," she chuckled.

"You're not upset I kidnapped your child for the day again?"

She shook her head, pulling away and smiled with those big eyes that drove her husband wild, "I had a hunch. Besides, Dan and Fitz think they got our serial killer so I'm in a pretty good mood."

* * *

"I have to say, Detective, you are absolutely glowing in that costume," the Devil gave her elevator eyes as he held her hand on the way down the stairs to the homicide department.

"It's called sweat, Lucifer. You're kid is a friggin radiator and there's a heat wave," she grumbled, pulling her hand away from his. "Dan, what the hell happened? I thought you said you got the guy that was doing this?"

Everyone in the office had stopped what they were doing to look at the couple. There were giggles, a few flashes from smartphone cameras, and quite a few jaws on the floor. "Do...do I even want to know what's going on here?" Dan stuttered, looking as though he wanted to look away, but physically couldn't.

Ella popped out of her lab, "Ohmygosh, yes! You were supposed to send me pictures this morning!" She joined them at the foot of the stairs with her phone ready to go. "Damn, Sailor Morningstar, you are looking mighty fine in that uniform. And you look so cute, Nurse Decker...I mean Morningstar! I'd let you pull a bullet out of me any day!" She gushed, much to the amusement of Lucifer and slight annoyance to Chloe. "How was the living wax museum for Trixie's last day of school?"

"Well we had to leave early because Espinosa here," she threw a glare in her ex's direction, "didn't give us the chance to work with him on this case for a _week_ after the last body was found and he obviously locked up the wrong guy."

"Look, Chlo. I said I was sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing at the time. What...what are you guys supposed to be anyway?"

Lucifer wiggled his eyebrows and carefully dipped the Detective low, cradling her head in his arm, and giving her a kiss as she squealed with surprise. Ella made a similar noise, taking pictures. "They're that totes adorbs couple from the kiss in Times Square. Ahh! This is too perfect!"

The sailor lifted his nurse back up, adjusting his white hat and smoothing out the navy blue uniform, "From VJ Day. Sadly not as naughty as it sounds. Although that night..."

"As I was saying…" Chloe rolled her eyes, a hand on Lucifer's shoulder to steady herself. "What happened with the guy you and Fitz brought into custody last night?"

Dan huffed, leading the group to the conference room where the whiteboard had been set up for the now four victims. Lucifer pulled out a chair for the Detective, but she shook her head, dismissing him and opting to stand with her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly uncomfortable and more stubborn than usual. "Our working theory is that he was either a fall guy for the real killer or there's more than one lowlife behind all this."

"Is the latest victim female too? Rosary?"

Ella nodded, sadly, going up to the murder board with a pen for a pointer. "Yeah. And she is. Was. So now we have Andrea Cortez, 34. Lived in Burbank and her body was found in Inglewood. Robin Russo, 29. Lived in Santa Monica with her body being found in Burbank. Natalie Stoller, 30, lived in San Fernando and her body was found, on your wedding night, also in Inglewood. And now there's Michelle Jones. She was 21 years old. Her house burned down last night in Santa Monica and her body was found this morning in Little Tokyo here in LA."

Chloe tried to sneak the fact that she was wiping the tears away that ran down her face, but Lucifer saw, a lump forming in his throat at the sight of her heartbreak. He knew she felt guilty that the case hadn't been solved yet and wanted to put a hand on her back, but also knew she'd just flinch away with how she was acting since they'd received the call.

"Did Michelle have a little kid too?" she choked.

Dan nodded. "A nine month old son. He's with his dad."

Chloe took a deep breath, looking at the board, "Is that our connection? Andrea had a two year old boy, Robin had a six month old girl, Natalie a thirteen month old son, and now Michelle has a nine month old? Is this guy just...offing young moms!?" She ended her sentence, unintentionally raising her shaking voice.

Lucifer couldn't take it anymore and put an arm around his wife's waist. "Chloe, why don't you sit down?"

"I'm fine," she almost growled, but didn't flinch away like he thought she would. "But why the fires? What is _wrong_ with this guy? At least the kids are always out with the significant others when it happens."

Ella's lip pouted in sympathy watching her best friend process the case. She, Dan, and Lucifer had all tried to get it reassigned when they realized all the victims were young moms, given Chloe's situation. There was no one else to take the case at the moment, however, and they weren't going to ask the detective to step away from it themselves, knowing full well she never would.

"I uh… I did some digging on their Wobble Profiles and found something that may or may not be useful." The scientist picked up a small stack of photos and magnets, hanging each picture under the victims' columns. "They weren't found with them…" she started slowly, gathering her thoughts. "But each victim had a piece of mother's jewelry. You know, like everyone in the family's birthstone?" Lucifer swallowed hard, looking at Chloe's wrist and back up to the board. "Andrea and Robin had bracelets, Natalie had a ring, and Michelle had a necklace. Based on the pictures on their profiles, they all seemed to have a similar style, so I did some research and found that they were all registered under serial numbers from the same little jewelry shop in North Hollywood called _Sparkle_."

Lucifer breathed a sigh of relief. He'd bought his wife's bracelet from a shop in France and had it flown over the day after he'd designed it. His relief was short lived, however as Chloe doubled over beside him, a surprised, painful little yelp escaping her lips. "Detective?"

"Decker?" Ella dropped the remaining two photos she'd yet to hang and grabbed a chair for her patient.

"I'm fine...I'm sorry...It's fine," Chloe sat down, her breathing ragged. "She just kicked really...really hard is all." Lucifer and Ella locked eyes, both looking worried. Dan went off to the break room and brought back a bottle of water and handed it to his friend, feeling a little like he was in the way. "Guys, I'm fine. Really. It just startled me. She got me right in the spine." She patted her belly, catching her breath, "You gotta stop doing that, little lady."

The worried dad was still squating beside her, rubbing her back and holding her hand, "Chloe, I think it's best we go home. You need to get some rest. You've been on your feet all morning and the book says-"

"Lucifer, I swear to your dad if you say one more thing about that book I will shove it so far up your ass you'll get paper cuts on your tongue."

Dan snorted from where he'd retreated into the corner, "Yep, good luck, Bud."

The devil sailor glared at him, but sighed with defeat, standing back up and trying to get his heart restarted from the panic. "Fine. Why erm," in situations like these, he tried to get inside the Detective's head and ask the questions she would. "Why were we so sure it was the guy you'd brought in yesterday then?"

Ella was hesitant to leave her spot by her friend, but pointed to the picture of the burned out remains of Natalie Stoller's house. "Each victim has had traces of gasoline on their skin, right? But the traces are so small that, personally, I don't think they're being doused in it themselves. It's like when you put gas in your car and you don't get any on you, but you can still smell it afterwards. The fire chief says the burn patterns of all four houses are pretty consistent with structures they know were doused in gasoline to ignite. But Natalie's house had a gas can left on the west side of the building. They'd need more than one can of gas to burn down the house as quickly as it happened, but this particular can had a solid print left on it. And the print was in our database belonging to one Carl Grady, age 40."

"What was he arrested for in the past?" Chloe asked.

"He hasn't been. Except for yesterday," Dan piped up. "But he works for North Hollywood's Merchant Patrol."

"Then what was a gas can with his finger prints doing outside one of our victim's houses?" The Detective's eyebrows furrowed. "I want to talk to him. He's gotta be connected, if not the ring leader."

"Chloe…" Lucifer tried to intervene, but was met with a death glare. "Might I join you?" he grinned instead.

Four hours later, Chloe and Lucifer had both been able to change and were in the middle of a rather unsuccessful interrogation with a mousy little man with a receding hairline. He hadn't lawyered up, but he still wasn't talking and Lucifer couldn't help but worry about his wife's blood pressure as she got angrier and angrier with him. If he didn't have to worry, he might have had to grab a stack of books to put in his lap.

"I don't get what you're not understanding here, asshole!" she screamed, standing up fast enough to send her chair flying, getting right in the guy's face. "There are four, FOUR little kids who no longer have a mom. Three men and one woman who no longer have their wives or girlfriends. Four sets of parents who no longer have their daughters. All because of fires ignited by gasoline and there's one gas can with your fingerprint on it and I've been nice for the last hour, but I am fucking done being nice here, Grady. Who are you working with?! Who?!"

Chloe went to grab his collar, but Lucifer shot up and pulled her back, "Alright, Detective. Let's take a breather shall we?"

"No," she shoved him out of the way and went right back to her stance over the table, jabbing a finger at him, snarling. "Pro tip here, you needle dick bug fucker," her husband had to look away for fear of her seeing him smirk. "Don't ever piss off a pregnant lady because I can make your life a living hell. And I just so happen to know someone very familiar with the place that can make sure I keep it authentic for you."

The suspect just laughed, "What are you gonna do, lady? Sit on me?"

"That's a pleasure reserved for me, thank you."

"Lucifer," she snapped at him.

"Detective," he grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her down in his vacated spot as gently but quickly as he could. "I have a better idea." He turned around, taking her place across the table and locking eyes with the man, an evil grin spreading on his face. "Tell me, human ferret, what is it you desire?"

Grady squinted, "I want every whorish little skank to get the punishment she deserves for having sex out of wedlock."

"No wedding ring," Lucifer didn't even try to control his red eyes from flashing as he waved his left ring finger in front of him. "So you're a virgin, are you? Not surprising. Don't know of many women that would find this Peter Pettigrew thing you have going on attractive."

"I am not," he said rather cooly, folding his cuffed hands, seemingly unaffected by his interrogator's eyes.

"So, what? That silly little rule book only applies to women, does it? Are you the one that killed the other three? Created a nice little version of what you think Hell looks like? Stuffed rosaries in their mouths to what? Bookmark them for damnation? Who is it you're working with? Who killed Michelle Jones?"

The man just sneered, leaning back in his metal chair, "I think now's a good time to ask for a lawyer."

Chloe sounded like all of the wind had been knocked out of her. She rubbed her face before standing up, much slower than before, and grabbed Lucifer's arm to drag him out of the room, kicking the door shut hard behind her. She was noticeably and understandably agitated, but without saying a word, she held on to her husband's arm until they were back in the now empty conference room.

Lucifer just stood in silence, watching as she closed the vertical blinds, her face pale. Her movements were jerky and he noticed she was shaking again, ever so slightly like when she hadn't eaten for a while. She had that inwardly focused look on her face, her eyes wide and scared.

"We'll figure it out. We always do. Mr. Rat Face getting a lawyer is only a slight detour." She shook her head, making her way back over to him, her bottom lip quivering as her eyes grew red. The way she was digging her palm into her belly as she rubbed where he'd last felt the child's back put his heart in his throat as he lightly rested his hands on her hips. "Chloe? What's going on?"

"Please make her move, Lucifer." she said it so quietly, her face contorting into a sad, scared, sob as her shoulders shook and she started crying into his chest.

Lucifer's blood ran cold and his entire body went numb, but he was the Devil for Dad's sake. He wrapped his arms around his Detective and patted her hair, still slightly stiff from the hair spray she'd used in her 40's hairdo that morning. "Wh...what do you mean, make her move?"

Chloe dug her fists into Lucifer's chest, "I haven't felt her since she kicked me in the spine and I told her to stop. I TOLD HER TO STOP!" She screamed, the tears flowing even harder.

"It's only been a few hours. She's probably just asleep. Trixie didn't _always_ move, did she?" he steered her toward a chair and sat her down, kneeling in front of her and rubbing her thighs, ignoring the fact that he could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

"What if she was flipping over and got her little neck wrapped around the cord?" She shook her head, tears still flowing steadily, "Even when I think she's asleep she's still moving. She's _just_ like you. Just...just talk to her or...or sing to her," she begged. "She's usually so active when she hears her daddy."

"Okay," he nodded, trying to calm himself down and instinctively looked around to see if anyone was watching. Admittedly he felt a little silly, but would do anything to put Chloe's mind at ease and know for sure his child was fine. "What do you want me to say? I...uh…" looking up to see Chloe's beautiful face hadn't eased at all, he swallowed his pride, put a hand on either side of her belly and sang the first thing that came to mind. " _Baby Jane, don't leave us hanging on the line. I'm really sorry son, your mum keeps calling you a girl. Now you're not moving and it's freaking out us both. Don't forget I'll do anything for y-_ "

"Aww!" Ella appeared at the door, carrying a file and causing Lucifer to damn near jump out of his skin. "Oh God! I'm so sorry, I ruined a cute family moment. Sorry!"

"No, Miss Lopez!" Lucifer ran after her, "we need you. The baby's not moving and the Detective's panicking."

"Just the detective?" The part time midwife turned back toward the conference room, shouting orders over her shoulder. "Get a grape juice from the vending machine and my bag from the lab!"

* * *

"So she's fine? They're both fine?" Lucifer sat on his side of the bed, squeezing Chloe's hand a little tighter than he realized. The baby had already started moving again before he and Ella finally convinced the Detective to take the rest of the day off to rest, but her midwife insisted on coming along for a quick check up just in case, and no one argued with her.

Ella just grinned at her two friends from where she sat at the foot of Chloe's side of the bed. The look of pure relief in Lucifer's eyes as he kissed his wife and put a big, loving hand on her bump made her want to scream with delight. Chloe's eyes were still puffy, but she was smiling from ear to ear after every test she ran came up perfectly fine.

Chloe gave her a sheepish grin, "Ella I am so sorry to put you through this hassle. Trixie was such a chill baby that it wasn't out of the ordinary to not feel her move for hours on end, but this little guy never stops. I'm sorry I wasted your time..."

"Whaaat? Never. That's what I'm here for," she went up to give her a big hug. "Besides, you're like 35 weeks now. That kid's running out of room. He's probably just gonna tuck in and wait it out until he gets the eviction notice."

"He," Lucifer pointed out with a chuckle. "Your expert is on my side now."

Chloe rolled her eyes at him, but looked down to her belly, "Baby, I don't care what you are, just don't scare mommy like that again, okay?"

"My bad!" Ella mumbled out of the side of her mouth in her shrill baby falsetto. She laughed at herself, gathering her things and stuffing them into the bag she'd gotten into the habit of keeping with her. "You okay, Decker?"

Her patient nodded, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze, "I'm good. Thank you. Again."

The brunette smiled back and headed for the door, Lucifer following her down the stairs. "Miss Lopez, can I uh…" he stayed quiet until they got to the bottom of the stairs where he gently pulled her out to the deck. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Aren't those kind of your thing?" She winked, "You know...as the Devil?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes, "I'm not a method actor."

"Okay! What's up, Pops?"

"Is there any way you could persuade the Detective to go on bed rest until her due date? Medically I mean?"

Ella shook her head, her ponytail bouncing, "Hey, I get it. I know you're super worried and it's supes cute to see the big tough Lucifer Morningstar all Doting Devil, but Chloe doesn't need to be on bed rest. I made her promise she'd stay in bed until tomorrow, but after that she's totally fine. She needs to take it easy, yes, but I think an all out bed rest order is a little extreme."

His shoulders fell as he sighed, "There's nothing I could do to persuade you? I'll suffer through mass with you again or whatever strange desire you may have. Literally anything, Miss Lopez. Name your price."

Her smile faded and those big bright eyes lost a hint of their usual fire. "Lucifer, I can't do that. Chloe trusts me with...with one of the biggest moments of her life. Me." She pointed to herself and started pacing quickly across the deck planks. He'd obviously let the cork out of the dam. "I don't know _why_ she trusts me. I mean I used to steal cars, I've basically been kicked out of Vegas, I pick locks, I grew up in the worst, scariest part of Detroit, my current life is all about the dead, and oh yeah! I _talk_ to dead people, did you know that? Well not all dead people, just the one, but….but _that's_ who your wife wants delivering your baby. A neurotic, obnoxiously positive, ex-thief who's having some MAJOR issues with the Big Guy since Charlotte died and I'm losing my shit because I know I'm not midwife material anymore and you are loaded and could have literally anyone else do this, but she insists on ME and I don't get it, but I'm not going to do anything to make it so she loses that trust in me and-"

"Miss Lopez!" Lucifer intercepted her path and grabbed her shoulders, " _Why_ does everyone need a pep talk from me all of a sudden? This is not what I do!" he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I asked, but don't give me any of that. You emit this positive energy that could make anyone feel good about themselves and that's what she admires about you. I'm her _husband_ and I couldn't calm the Detective down earlier like you did. She knows how brilliant you are and believe me when I say, she does not trust _anyone_ else with this because she thinks the baby will be too much like me. And for Dad's sake, you don't see dead people, you see Ray Ray."

"Chloe told you? But I never…I never said her name," Ella's eyes grew wide. "I've...I never…I haven't told anyone her….how?"

"'Smell ya later'? Your height? Looks Asian? Short hair? Bangs?"

Just then, the patio door opened and Linda stepped out carrying a stack of DVDs. Sensing the tension and seeing Ella's jaw on the floor, the therapist stopped at the doorway and stood there awkwardly, "Sorry. I got your text. Is uh...I'm guessing Chloe's upstairs?"

"She is," Lucifer put a hand up for Linda to wait and lightly grabbed Ella's arm, the same heavy weight on his chest as when he knew he was going to show Trixie. He grabbed his friend's bag of supplies and dropped it off on the couch as the three of them headed up the stairs, the lab tech's face showing just how confused she really was.

"Linda! What are you doing here?" Chloe smiled, setting her phone down and reaching up to give her friend a hug.

"Lucifer texted and said you were going to need something to keep you in bed for a while. Not something I thought he'd need _my_ help with," she winked.

Chloe laughed, looking through the movies. "Exactly how long do you think I'll be in bed, Lucifer?" Looking up at him, she saw her husband's face and knew something wasn't right, especially when she saw the rather lost look on Ella's. Her brows furrowed, searching Linda's eyes for answers but she shrugged, just as out of the loop as she was.

"I think I may have said too much," Lucifer took a deep breath, guiding Ella over to the bed where she sat down, her friend instantly reaching out to put an arm around her. "Miss Lopez here was having a slight freak out over her qualifications because she thinks she's been seeing a ghost all this time," he shrugged, looking purely defeated and a little sick. "And I may have let it slip that her ghost is actually my sister, Azrael."

"Oh boy," Linda braced herself to be back on the clock, sitting on the bed on the other side of Ella. "The Angel of Death? Fiery sword, creepy blade Azrael?"

"Wait, her ghost is an angel?" Chloe, still so relieved to be too upset by much, had that same look on her face that she did when she'd just solved a case. "I mean not that ghosts are too out of the question anymore, but that _does_ make sense."

Ella looked at her like she had lobsters coming out of her ears, "What are you talking about? What is _he_ talking about? Angel of De….she's not your sister, Lucifer. She's just a...just a figment of my imagination, right Linda?"

He locked eyes with Chloe, giving her a small, insecure smile. She nodded back to him and rubbed the woman's arm, speaking softly, "Ella, you know how I keep telling you that I trust you and only you to deliver our baby?"

"Kinda why I started freaking out, yeah."

"Sorry. But the reason for that is...well you have the skills and the background, but you're also a friend. One of my very best friends and I see you as my sister. You're the backbone of our little tribe and I trust you with my baby's life and mine. And just in case this baby is…" she glanced over at Lucifer and smiled, hoping he took her words the way they were intended, "is a lot like her father, there is no one outside of my tribe that I trust enough to care for her and accept her the way she is."

"What's wrong with Lucifer?" Ella's brow furrowed, words not coming easily to her. "It's not like you have a third nipple or...do you have six toes on one foot or something? Cause that's not _that_ weird. I mean, it's a little unexpected, but not Earth shattering."

"Miss Lopez...Ella," Lucifer moved so he was in the center of the room, a safe distance from the walls and the furniture. "We were going to tell you earlier, but the timing never seemed right and now with the due date so quickly approaching, I think it's time you knew." He looked at Chloe for one final nod and to see her beautiful, encouraging smile. With a slow shake of his shoulders, he carefully unfurled his wings and watched for his friend's reaction.

Ella didn't make a sound. She sat between Linda and Chloe, opening and closing her mouth, but none of them could tell if she was actually breathing or not. Lucifer's heart clenched as he realized he may have just broken his happy-go-lucky friend and a vital part in his child's safe delivery into the world. And what had he just done to her faith? "Miss Lopez?"

She slowly rubbed her chest, noticeably feeling for the silver cross necklace as Chloe started scratching her back, "You okay, babe?"

She shook her head, ever so slightly, not taking her eyes off of Lucifer. "Chloe?" she squeaked.

"Yeah?"

"You uh...you might want to consider a C-section instead…"

Linda chuckled and pulled the forensic scientist in for a hug as Lucifer tucked his wings back in and Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. Reaching for her husband's hand, she pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek and held him there to whisper in his ear, "No Devil Face?"

He shook his head and whispered back, "Not for Miss Lopez, no."

Chloe just smiled. "Thank you," she mouthed.

Ella grabbed his collar before he could stand up, "Are you telling me you're not a method actor?"

* * *

"THE SEVENTH GRADER HAS ARRIVED!" Trixie yelled at the top of her lungs as she swung open the front door of the Hills Estate, her dad laughing behind her. "Hello?!"

"Up here, Monkey!" Chloe called back from her spot. Lucifer had been answering Ella's approximately eight hundred questions from where he'd moved the chair over to the foot of the bed, leaning back with his feet up. Linda had stuck around as well, but wasn't needed in her professional capacity as their friend was taking it all surprisingly well.

"Wait," hearing the two sets of footsteps on the stairs, the newly informed put a hand on Chloe's arm, "does Trixie know?"

The girl's mom laughed, "I think she's known longer than I have."

"But Sir Douche is still clueless, so shh," the Devil put a finger to his lips, grateful for the break. He was trying to be as honest as he could with the woman, as if he had any choice, but there were quite a few things he'd chosen to leave out as a way to preserve at least a bit of that doubt she relied so heavily on in her life.

When Trixie appeared at the door, she was met with a round of applause from the three ladies on the bed. "Thank you, thank you." She bowed, beaming.

"How was the rest of the Living Wax Museum?" Ella asked with as much enthusiasm as she would've had she not just received life altering news an hour earlier.

"It was so cool! But Mom and Lucifer won second place. Hannah Q's parents won first as Cleopatra and Mark Antony."

"Oh please," Lucifer rolled his eyes, "their parties were nothing compared to the movies. Dreadfully boring and that Mark was the original crazy cat lady."

Ella's jaw dropped at the new information as Trixie pulled a red ribbon out of her backpack, giving it to her mom. Dan appeared behind her, looking thoroughly confused by the scene in front of him. Lucifer noticed he was holding a small stack of files behind his back and threw him as menacing a glare as he could without breaking out his red eyes. Dan noticed and sat them on the dresser as inconspicuous as possible.

"Trixie, I'm sorry we had to leave early," Chloe pulled her into her arms, kissing the top of her head. "Work called for an emergency with our case."

"It's okay," she shrugged, obviously used to it.

Chloe noticed and found herself hugging her a bit tighter, realizing how grown up her little girl was becoming. "Dan, did you happen to bring the case file? I'm stuck in bed overnight so I have plenty of time to look at it."

He shot a glance over to Lucifer, but took a step in front of the pile before his ex noticed, "It can wait, Chlo. Get some rest. Trix, I'll see you for the concert Tuesday?" he asked, throwing her rock horns.

"Sounds good!" she grinned, waving as he left. "So Lucifer," Trixie eyed him, sitting up straight and crossing her arms. "Ready for our camping trip?"

"What's this?" Chloe asked, more than a little startled.

He sighed, putting his feet down and giving her a sympathetic smile, "Brat, your mum-"

"Is in good hands," Linda cut in.

"Yeah! We'll watch her," Ella grinned, throwing an arm around her friend who looked somewhat offended at being talked about like a toy poodle. "What's better than round the clock care from her midwife? You'd just get in the way," she winked.

"Uh….Lucifer, have you ever _been_ camping?" his wife cringed. "Or do you have some big 'Glamping' RV I haven't seen yet?" Her lips pursed, trying to stifle a laugh, "I guess the campfire, maybe, but…"

He racked his brain for any excuse to get out of his promise, but those damned brown eyes were staring up at him and the notion was out of his character anyway. "Come on, Lucifer. I thought your word was your bond?" One more look at Chloe, his eyes verging on pleading, gave him his answer. No matter how much he wanted to stay with his wife, she _was_ in good hands.

The woman pulling his heart strings smiled, "She's got you there."

He scoffed at himself, standing up and retreating to the walk-in closet, "Fine. I'm a Devil of my word."

"And still can't say no to my kid," Chloe laughed, giving Trixie a high five. "Need any help packing?"

"Nope. I packed everything we'll need last night!" she said proudly, bouncing off the bed and disappearing toward her room. "Tent's in the car already!"

"I know I said I'd help make sure you stayed in bed, but I really want to see Lucifer out camping," Linda smirked, fiddling with the _Love Actually_ DVD case.

"For the record," the Devil popped out of the closet in faded blue jeans, pulling down a tight maroon tshirt, and hiking boots, none of which his wife had ever seen before but were giving her feelings that made the current bed situation a tad awkward. "In case you've forgotten, I _have_ lived without electricity before. For eons. I can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it for the night, but I made a deal." He plopped a black baseball cap over his perfectly placed hair and the ladies in his bed started cat-calling.

Chloe's eyes twinkled as she pushed herself out of the bed and wrapped her arms around the soft shirt, his firm muscles underneath making her want to beg him to stay home. "You guys be careful."

He wrapped his arms around her and breathed in her relaxing scent, the morning's scare already giving him a pang of homesickness at the thought of being separated for the night, "We'll just be up around San Fernando. We can be back in a jiffy."

"Ready?" Trixie jumped in front of the door, her and Magagsy both in braids and their best matching camping attire and backpacks.

"As I'll ever be," he grimaced, adjusting his hat and leaning down to give Chloe a kiss goodbye, one hand on her belly. "Let me know if you need me home."

She just nodded and guided him out the door, noticing him grab something off the dresser before leaving the room. Turning around, her two friends were looking at her expectantly. She just sighed, making her way back to her side of the bed, "You guys aren't going to let me do any work, are you?"

"No work allowed at our slumber party, no." Ella grinned, clapping her hands with excitement.

* * *

Lucifer and Trixie had bickered their way through setting up camp in the mountains just north of San Fernando on a small piece of empty land the nightclub owner had won in a poker game years before. The last bit of sun faded below the horizon as the Devil finally ran out of phallic jokes to go with the hot dogs they'd roasted on the fire.

"Right," Lucifer pulled his flask out from the pocket of his hoody and leaned back in the camping chair, throwing his napkin to the flames. "Is there anything we've missed in this little homeless charade or is it time for you to go curl up in that overgrown condom you call a sleeping bag?"

The little girl cocked her head at him from where she sat on the ground, leaning against a massive log, looking at her watch, "It's 9:30."

"And what other big plans might you have to torture me with?"

"Well," a giant, mischievous grin spread across Trixie's face as she pulled a small notebook from Magagsy's backpack. "I think it's time you return a favor."

The Devil raised an eyebrow, slowly putting the lid back on his flask, "If I'm not mistaken, the whole reason I'm sitting in the woods getting eaten by mosquitoes and feeling my ass fall asleep in this chair is because I _am_ returning a favor."

The girl nodded, crossing something out in her notebook. She turned the pad around to show her step dad the page. It was a list of dates, some crossed out, some circled, the most recent being the day before. "This counts as _one_ favor, Lucifer. You have a bunch more to return. If I'm not mistaken."

"I have a bad feeling about this," he sighed.

"Relax, Solo." She stood up and walked over to him so he had to look up at her, her fists planted on her hips in her best power pose, "I wanna fly."

"Oh do you?" He suppressed a laugh at what he guessed was supposed to be a threatening stare down. "And how do you propose we do that, exactly?"

She shrugged, "You carry me?" Her eyes went from threatening to pleading as she pouted, "Please Lucifer? I know you've flown mom around."

"For very shorts flights and only in emergencies or when there was very little chance of anyone seeing us."

"I'm a lot lighter than mom, especially right now," she folded her arms, her sass quickly returning the less he played along with her schemes.

He chuckled, "Don't tell her that."

"And it's dark out."

"Brat…"

"Lucifer."

He sat up and they stared at each other until Trixie raised an eyebrow, "I'll tell mom we watched _Stranger Things_ first without her."

"I thought we made a deal?" he puffed up his chest to look intimidating, but she wouldn't crack. "Fine. But no more blackmail lessons."

"That's okay. I think I'm all set." She looked very proud of herself.

Her opponent got up, throwing his cap on the chair and running a hand through the hat head it left behind, "Wait here. I've some business I have to attend to do behind the little boy's tree over yonder."

"Leaves of three, let them be!"

He chuckled from behind the tree, undoing his zipper. Ever since he and Chloe had confirmed for the little urchin that he was, in fact, an angel as she had suspected, she'd been begging him for a ride. He'd known full well this day was coming, but had to mess with her and it was always entertaining to see the fire in the girl's eyes when she fought for what she truly desired.

When he was done relieving himself, he pulled out his phone for a quick check to see if he had any updates from home and was greeted with a rather disturbing picture of his wife and friends in green clay masks. He was about to respond but dropped his phone when a blood curdling scream pierced the air.

"Trixie?!" he called, bolting out to see what was going on, his face growing hot and his entire body going numb again like it had that morning.

"Lucifer!" she screamed, running toward him, obviously terrified.

Before he knew it, she was in his arms, her legs wrapped so tightly around his torso he was grateful he had just emptied his bladder. He looked around and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she was shaking violently. "What…? What's happening?" He tried to put her down, but she wouldn't let go.

"It touched me!"

He gripped her a little tighter, squinting to see more clearly in the dark, but there was still nothing, "What touched you?"

"T...t...ta...ran...shula….taran…..shu...la…"

Lucifer breathed a sigh of relief, unable to stop the laugh that escaped his lips. "A spider?"

"It was the size of your hand, asshole!" she whined, still holding onto him for dear life. He was a little more forceful in setting her down, but she stuck to him like velcro when her feet hit the ground. Looking up, she finally cracked a smile through her tears, "Your devil face is showing."

"What?" he froze, reaching up to touch his face. "Bugger," he concentrated on turning it back, but the fact that he hadn't even noticed it changing was certainly cause for alarm. After he thought it'd gone back to his human form, he had to touch it again to be sure. Trixie just squeezed him around his middle, completely unaffected by the slip. Trying to get his mind off of whatever cruel joke his father was playing on him at the moment, he danced his fingers lightly in the girl's hair and laughed as she squirmed away from him.

His amusement was cut short as she screamed in terror again and the look of fear in her eyes turned to betrayal as she realized what he'd done. She was hugging herself with one arm and swatting away imaginary spiders with the other. "What? You're not afraid of anything?" her lip was quivering and she started crying all over again.

He sighed, feeling that awful weight on his chest that Linda had once pointed out to him was unbearable guilt. His Devil Face popping up out of nowhere didn't scare her, but an imaginary spider was clearly causing her great emotional distress. His distraction from his father's cruel joke had turned into a cruel joke of his own. "Trixie, I-"

"I wanna...go...home," she jumped at the fire popping and slapped away another invisible bug, standing as if she was trying desperately to make herself disappear.

"Why don't we go for a quick fly first? A freebie, if you will?" She wiped away her tears and very slowly started to relax, nodding ever so slightly. "I haven't just been swindled, have I?" he asked, turning her around and wrapping his arms around her middle.

She laughed as he picked her up, jostling her a bit to make sure he had a good grip, and launched them both into the air, slowly clearing the tree line to make sure no one was watching. When he was satisfied that the residents in the neighborhood surrounding the woods were safely tucked in their homes, he spread his wings as far as they would go and took off as high as he dared with the child in his arms. She was squealing with delight, spreading her arms out like she had wings of her own and Lucifer couldn't contain the grin it was putting on his own face, relieved that she at least sounded like she was forgiving him.

"I'm gonna be so pissed if my little brother can fly and I can't," she said as he leveled out, his wings doing the equivalent of treading water in the air. He stopped so they could enjoy the view of the city lights, high enough that they could see every single star, and adjusted Trixie so she was sitting in his lap.

Lucifer chuckled, "Like I told your mum, he might not have wings, being half human and all."

"What if he _has_ the wings, but can't fly like some Angel ostriche thing?" she giggled.

"That's just mean."

"Will he have your face?"

"He'd look awfully funny with the Detective's," he smirked, carefully adjusting his hold. "Not what you meant, is it?" She shook her head, swinging her legs off of his and carefully peaking over to see how high up they were. She snapped back, looking a little shocked. "I won't let you fall. I _am_ scared of what your mum would do if I dropped you."

"Will he?"

The angel shook his head, "Amenadiel had a theory before he left with Charlotte that we self actualize. So I don't think he'll come out looking like...like me. A baby isn't going to know he's the son of evil, right?" Lucifer realized it was the first time he'd said what he was thinking on the subject out loud, but wondered if he was trying to comfort the girl in his lap or convince himself.

"He's not anyway," Trixie's brow furrowed and she looked disgusted at the thought.

"Your mum's got some explaining to do if he's not."

"Huh? No, gross. I mean you're not evil." She said, matter of factly. "According to Ella, all you did was give a naked girl an apple, right? And Linda says you only _punished_ evil. Like mom does!"

Lucifer gave a soft laugh at her innocence. Wanting to preserve hers just as much as that of Miss Lopez, he changed the subject. "Grandma and Grandpa Douche take you to mass now and then, don't they?" She nodded, shrugging. "Does the blowhard at the front skip over who hung the stars?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "...God?"

"Bastard takes all the credit," he rolled his eyes, pointing over to a particularly bright patch of stars, keeping a hand on her back. "Though Virgo was much more explicit til he proofread my work."

"See? The guy that hung the stars can't be too evil." She looked back at him, her eyes sparkling, "Can we fly downtown?"

"No," he said flatly, wrapping his arms around her and getting them into position to start flying once again. "Aside from you and your mum, and I guess Linda and now Miss Lopez, the whole celestial thing can't be seen by humans, remember?"

"Aww, come on!" she yelled as he picked up speed. "Who's going to believe they saw an angel carrying a little kid?! Worst that'll happen is the person gets thrown into a nut hutt!" she giggled as Lucifer spun them around as he dove back down to Earth.

Something caught his eye, the closer they got to the ground. It looked like an animal of some sort, sprawled out a hundred yards or so down the hill from their small campsite. The closer they got, the clearer it became that it was not, in fact, an animal. "Urchin, do me a favor?"

"Alright, but I'm writing it down when we land!"

"Close your eyes. Keep them shut until I say you can open them. I'm not asking, alright?"

"Why?"

"Just do it." He waited a moment and, realizing there wasn't exactly a way he could test if they really were closed or not, decided to trust that she was being obedient for once and cautiously flew a little closer to the strange black mass.

There was a pungent, sour, familiar smell that lingered in the air around it that told him exactly what it was without having to squint too hard in the dark. It smelled like gasoline, stale smoke, and rotting flesh. Hell. The pile smelled a lot like Hell, and it made his nose curl and his stomach turn.

"Something stinks." Trixie said, turning her head blindly. "What is that?"

"It's nothing." Making a mental note of the landmarks nearby, he flew back up the hill and landed by their small fire as quickly as he could without looking like he himself was panicking.

"Can I open my eyes yet?" she asked as her feet hit the ground, sounding on the verge of annoyed. At his affirmative, she spun around and gave the Devil a huge hug. "Thank you Lucifer!"

He smiled down at her as he tucked his wings back in, but his mood had changed dramatically.

"How come you're not like Jacob?" she asked, running behind him as his wings disappeared, reaching up to touch his hoody. "When he changes into a werewolf, his clothes rip off. How come your wings go right through your shirt?"

He sighed, "I hate that I knew what you meant by that before you explained yourself..."

"It doesn't make any sense."

"It makes sense that I have wings, but not that they're just kind of erm...magic?" She was lightening his mood, but he wasn't finding this nearly as amusing as he would have earlier. "Why don't you go in the tent and get ready for bed. I need to go make a phone call from the car."

Trixie turned toward the tent, but stopped, looking back sheepishly. "I know you think it's stupid, but...will you check for spiders?"

* * *

Chloe sat at the large white table separating the living room from the kitchen, the only light on in the giant estate above the opened files, a map of Southern California, and a spread of gruesome crime scene pictures. She was munching on the baby's latest craving when she heard the door leading out to the garage open and shut. Startled, she wrapped her robe a little tighter around herself and clutched at the only thing she had at arms length that could be used as a weapon.

Her heart raced as heavy footsteps thudded their way up the stairs. She scooted away from the table as quietly as she could and was just about to stand up, her weapon ready, when a familiar face came into the light. "Lucifer?" she asked, her hand clutching her chest. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"What am _I_ doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed? Were you going to...fork me?" he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at her when he noticed her white knuckles around the utensil.

She dropped the fork and scurried over to her husband when she saw Trixie in his arms, her doll in the same pajamas on top of her. "Ohmygod! Is she okay? What happened?"

"She's asleep. I'm going to take her upstairs. I'll be right back," he whispered.

"What-" she tried to ask, but he was already halfway up the stairs.

Lucifer carefully navigated the stuffed animals and the All American Girl accessories to gently put his load down in her bed, tucking her doll into her arms, and pulling the blankets over them both before making his way back down the stairs and joining his wife at the table. "Do I have to fire our friends for being lousy babysitters?"

"They're asleep." Chloe chuckled, "Lucy was hungry so I had to make her a snack."

"Okay, no on Lucy and is that brussel sprouts with," he sniffed, cringing, "strawberry jam?"

"Maybe. What are you guys doing back? Couldn't handle it?" she winked, her mouth twitching as she tried to hold her laughter.

"We had a taranshula incident." Not technically a lie, he convinced himself. LAPD had a squad out responding to his call and it wasn't like a burned body meant it was necessarily related to the case spread out in front of him. "I see I should have taken these with me. 24 hours rest, remember?"

"I know, I know," she rolled her eyes.

Lucifer scooted his chair closer to hers and rubbed the back of her neck, "How's Miss Lopez holding up?"

Chloe relaxed into his hand, "I think she's fine. She kept coming up with questions all night, but it's Ella. If anything she's upset you're not actually a method actor."

They both laughed, "Hate to shatter the poor woman's dreams. What else did you lovely ladies do tonight?"

"The normal slumber party things, you know. Pillow fights in our lingerie, mud wrestling, taught each other how to kiss…" she playfully slapped his chest when he looked like he was about to drool. "We watched a couple chick flicks. Ordered a pizza. Roasted marshmallows in the fireplace up there. Gossipped."

"Oooh, do tell," Lucifer leaned an elbow on the table, giving his radiant wife his full attention, feeling much calmer from the night's events just by being close to her.

"Well...they thought it was hilarious that you're so skeeved out by the nuns in _Call the Midwife_ but keep watching it with me," she laughed at his annoyed face. "And I guess Maze said Linda can have Amenadiel when he comes back because she and Dan are getting to be a lot closer than they've been letting on."

"I'll be damned," he chuckled. Noticing movement under Chloe's shirt, he put a hand on her bump, "And he's been behaving by not behaving?"

The Detective leaned back, lacing her fingers with his, admiring the way her shimmering onyx ring set looked with the one she'd never seen him without. She nodded, beaming, "Hasn't stopped squirming since we got home."

"Lovely," he chuckled, relieved until his smile started to fade. "Chloe, something happened tonight...with the uh...taranshula episode…" He moved the hand from her neck, down to cover hers. "I was behind a tree, just done having a wee and Trixie started screaming bloody murder, so I ran out to see what happened, but...my Devil Face popped out without me realizing it. I...I didn't know it'd changed. My face felt hot, but I didn't know it'd actually changed…"

"When Trixie was screaming?" she asked, flashing those big, concerned blue eyes at him. He nodded, but Chloe couldn't quite tell what part of the situation was bothering him, "Was she afraid of it?"

"She quite literally jumped into my arms in spite of it."

Chloe laughed, "I'm not surprised. She _hates_ spiders."

"It's not funny, Detective. Why did my face change without me knowing it? Again. Like it did when...when you first saw it."

She shrugged, reaching up to take off his cap and setting it on the file in front of her. "Maybe it's because you thought she was in danger and wanted to scare off whatever it was that was threatening your little Brat?" She put a gentle hand on his scruffy cheek, running her thumb over his chin and pulling him close as tears clouded her eyes, "I don't think you have to worry about it _too_ much, but I do believe maybe your paternal instincts are kicking in a little harder than you realize."

* * *

 _Okay, so I know a lot lot lot LOT happened in this chapter, and I know it was so very fluffy, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Let me know what you thought!_

 _And before I get any complaints, Ella's discovery_ will _be expanded upon later, I do believe. :)_

 _I cannot stress enough how awesome you guys are. Your reviews, favorites, and follows mean the world to me. :')_


	10. Highway to Hell

_I feel like I've made you guys wait forever for this chapter, so I only have two little notes before we continue on with the show. :)_

 _You guys are so amazing and I've never felt so much love and support for my writing as I do with the Lucifam. Thank you. :) I only wish we had about 12 more season to really get to know each other. ;) BUT I trust Ildy and Joe with my life and know they'll do amazing things. So in the meantime..._

 _Listen to 'City of Angels' by Stitched Up Heart. They're one of my favorite bands so of course I had to 'subtly' throw them in here too. Forgive me. (Though the total Girl Power of Mixi actually reminds me of a grown up Trixie if she doesn't take the space path, so it's fine) ;)_

Chapter 10

"I'm not saying I'm not _proud_ of everything she's accomplished, Detective. I'm just saying had she let me assist, she'd be selling out the Staples Center by now." Lucifer pulled out the flask from his jacket pocket and took a swig, eyeing the security guard in front of him in a visual threat to say anything. He and Chloe were currently in the VIP section, front and center to the stage with 498 chattering fans behind them as the crew set up for the next band.

Chloe rolled her eyes, pulling the man down to yell in his ear, "Every show they've played this tour has been sold out. The Whiskey just happens to be one of Trixie's bucket list venues. It's a big deal for her, Lucifer."

"Yes I know that." He nodded, dramatically. "But Dad forbid I'm allowed to help Little Miss Independent."

His wife flashed him one of her beautiful, cheek splitting smiles, her face glowing in the stage lights. She was still the most breathtakingly beautiful woman in the room, regardless of the faint crows feet around her eyes, the slightly deeper lines around her mouth when she smiled, or the fact that her hair had faded ever so slightly into an almost white gold.

Lucifer pulled out his phone and opened the front facing camera, looking for an excuse to capture this very moment of pure pride for them both. "Care to really embarrass the kids?" he threw an arm around her and put up rockhorns, resting his chin on her shoulder and kissing her cheek. He took the picture while she was still laughing and held the phone out of her reach while she begged for a retake. "I'll tag them on Insta," he winked, taking a look at the snapshot. He hadn't aged a single day since they'd met, but for being in her mid fifties, the Detective didn't look a day over forty. It wouldn't have mattered to him if she did.

Just as he went to kiss her again, a rather drunk chick in her twenties at the front of the general admission area started clapping and cheering, the attention very clearly directed to Chloe. Her brow furrowed as she turned around, Lucifer's arm still around her waist. "I just wanted to say you are AWESOME, lady! I love seeing a cougar in the wild!"

Chloe's cheeks went particularly red as her jaw set and she turned her attention back to the stage hands. Lucifer couldn't resist the single laugh that escaped his lips. Upon noticing the sudden change in his wife's posture however, he nodded his disapproving acknowledgement to the woman and ran his hand up and down her arm. "Leave it," he hummed into her ear, sneaking a nibble that made her squirm into him.

"Get a room you two, jeez!" Ella strutted into the VIP section, her hands occupied with two draft beers and the same flashing red devil horns on her head that she'd given Lucifer for his first Christmas so many years ago. Always ready to party, she handed Chloe one of the plastic cups and held hers up for a cheers. "Woo! Any rockstar sightings yet?"

"One of the Hannahs was out to tune the drum, but that's about it. They're probably doing their pre show Jager bomb right about now." She crossed her arms and glared at her friend, smirking knowingly.

"You thought I was going to be the good influence? What kind of a fun aunt would that be?" Ella hid her grin in her beer until her eyes grew wide and she took off to hug the new arrivals. "Lindadiel's here!"

Linda and Amenadiel both flashed their VIP badges to the guard and graciously accepted their Ella hugs before joining the group. They were both carrying drinks and wearing the same neon green _Urchins of Mars_ band tees, but looked rather disheveled. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at his brother who just shrugged, eyes sparkling mischievously and a smile tugging at the side of his mouth. "Dan and Maze were right behind us in line at the bar," Linda went to hug Chloe, locking eyes with her patient when she pulled away. "I missed you today, Lucifer. Only a few _professional_ sessions left, you know."

"Steak-out ran a little long, I'm afraid. My apologies, Doctor. Blame my Detective, here." He grinned, kissing Chloe's temple. "I guess you may not have enough time to fix me afterall."

"No one has that kind of time," Chloe smiled at her own joke, playfully patting his chest.

Ella perked up, "Please tell me we're throwing you a retirement party? One of my brothers just started a party company in Van Nies that takes you out to do your own drag racing before you get too hammered and-"

"I'm in charge of planning my bitch's retirement party, Ellen," Maze sneered from where she walked in on Dan's arm, the two of them looking like the reverse of the other two couples, though Dan hadn't aged as well as his ex or the therapist. The demon smiled, clinking plastic cups with Ella and the two chugged their drinks.

"How were the opening bands?" Dan asked, leaning in close to talk with the parents that had been there all night.

"Atrocious might be a bit too nice," Lucifer pulled his flask out again. "Did you know it was physically possible to scream Billy Joel's entire repertoire while wearing a full cat costume?"

His once temporary partner cringed, "Are we at least talking sexy cat or…?"

"Mascot, unfortunately."

"They weren't _that_ bad," Chloe chuckled. "Did you two find that Sokolov guy you were after?"

"Just got done with the paperwork down at the station. He's going away fo-"

Just then, the lights went down and a rather harsh, loud beeping chatter came over the venue's sound system. Every stage light blasted it's brightest green onto the _Urchins of Mars_ ' red planet landscape backdrop with two aliens, one flipping off the camera with it's long, lime green suction cup of a finger that Lucifer _tried_ to tell the frontwoman was entirely inaccurate.

"Whiskey A Go Gooooo!" Trixie's voice screamed over the beeps, "Are you ready to rock tonight?!" The crowd went wild and the VIP section filled with family was no acception. Dan and Lucifer were really the only ones at least trying to keep their cool, but even Dan started cheering with everyone else as four of the band members came out, already playing the hard, fast, driving rhythm of the first song. "I can't hear you, LA!" she screamed again from offstage.

When the crowd's screaming finally reached what must have been the preferred decibel, the not so little girl came running out with the same bright pink guitar she'd learned on, not missing a single note as she strutted around the stage in a tiny black, strappy dress Lucifer swore she must have taken from Maze's closet.

She'd grown to be quite the beauty with tan skin and toned muscles, but he couldn't get past the waist length bleach blond hair she was now flailing around to the heavy drum beat, or the full purple and blue galaxy sleeve tattoo on her left arm, complete with six of the same green aliens, huddled together for a family portrait. It _did_ make him smirk however, as one had devil horns, one had a halo, the one in between them had a halo resting on a single red horn, another had a celestial blade, one had a badge, and the last, shortest one, was flashing a peace sign.

As the music got to where the lyrics would start, Trixie jogged over to the microphone stand in the middle, ripped the mic out and threw her entire body into roaring the first line of the song, "IGNITION SEQUENCE ACTIVAAAAAATE!" As serious and in-character as it looked like she was trying to stay, she still laughed her way through the first verse as Lucifer's eyebrows shot up and Chloe nudged him, getting entirely too into it with their friends.

"Come on! Isn't this like the Devil's music?" the girl's mom asked, having to scream into his ear.

"That's rock. Had I known she'd go metal, I never would have taught her."

"Only took nineteen years for you to admit it wasn't Dan," she elbowed him in the ribs, but laughed, lightly headbanging away to the music, beaming and thoroughly enjoying herself. "Besides, it's not metal, it's hard rock!"

"Doesn't it bother you, Detective?" Lucifer asked, "Your little urchin strutting around in a slutty dress, all these... _men_ leering at her?"

"You're such a dad! She's more covered than your waitresses at Lux. Besides, she's not topless like I was, remember?"

"That's it," he started taking off his Armani jacket to throw on stage.

Maze stopped him, "She knows how to fend for herself, Lucifer. I taught her everything I know."

"Well hopefully not _everything_ ," Dan grimaced, putting his arm around her bare mid drift. The demon just smirked, causing all of Trixie's parents to cringe while Ella and Linda laughed. Amenadiel was too busy screaming along to every word in true embarrassing uncle form to be paying much attention to the conversation.

By the end of the blur that was the second and third song, Lucifer had relaxed a little about his step daughter's appearance and was able to watch with the same bursting pride he'd felt when he and Chloe had walked in on her little concert at Lux the day he finally showed her his true face. She was an excellent frontwoman and kept the audience just as entertained as she had her stuffed animals, her personality not having changed one bit from her childhood.

"LA, are we having fun tonight?!" Trixie screamed, her voice just slightly raspy. She beamed at the crowds response, "Yes! Thank you! Are we ready to bring it down a notch?" She put a hand up to her ear, her pink bedazzled ear monitor catching the lights, "I'll take that as a yes?"

Lucifer laughed, watching Chloe jump up and down with excitement. She didn't often let her hair down since becoming chief, but when she did, she went hard.

The frontwoman noticed as well and rolled her eyes, a grin on her face as she waved, "My mom says yes, so we're gonna go with that, okay? And actually the next song we're doing is for all of these super crazy people down in front right here. Including this big tough bald dude that looks like he could rip your spine out without breaking a sweat. I promise he's a teddy bear though. And probably our biggest fan. Love you, Uncle Amenadiel!"

Lucifer looked over in time to see Linda rest her head on his brother's massive shoulder, the man grinning from ear to ear and raising his beer to the band.

Trixie grabbed the water bottle on her amp, using the time to catch her breath, "LA is our home and there's this super dorky little dude I never get to play with anymore now that I'm on the road all the time. But I convinced him to step away from the books and come out tonight for a song or two. He just graduated yesterday, with honors, from high school and he's heading off to Berkeley for pre-med in the fall, so like I said, he's a total nerd. But he's my baby brother and I love the shit out of this kid. Chuckie, get out here!"

The crowd started clapping, obviously not entirely sure what to expect until a tall young man stepped onto the stage, the pink and red lights bouncing off his light blonde hair. He had a giant grin on his face as he playfully put his sister in a headlock to scold her for the use of her nickname for him as the screams got louder and rose by an octave. All the ladies in the crowd were instantly wooed by a barefaced, teenage spitting image of his father.

"Sorry, sorry. He's going by Charles now, my bad. But ladies," Trixie put up her hands, shaking her head in fake disgust, "he's not legal yet, back off. Don't make me set my Aunt Maze loose on you," she nodded to the demon who responded with a growl to the crowd.

Lucifer chuckled, watching his teenage blonde self onstage, oozing his natural charisma and charm, winning over every single woman and quite a few of the men in the venue with Chloe's big blue eyes. He couldn't help but puff his chest out in pride as his heart felt like it was going to burst. He finally tore his attention away when the boy's mother squeezed his arm and pulled him down again so she could reach his ear, "We made a hell of a cute kid, didn't we?"

Before he knew it, his eyes had blurred over and he nonchalantly wiped at them, hoping she wouldn't noticed, "That's our _son_."

Chloe laughed, "Doesn't it bother you though, Lucifer? He's in such a tight white t-shirt around all these... _women_ just leering at him," she winked. He just grinned, looking back to the stage.

"This is the song he and I used to jam out to as soon as I could get his sticky widdle fingers on our piano," Trixie stuck her tongue out at her little brother as he took his spot at the keyboard the tech had just brought out. He raised an eyebrow, looking so much like Lucifer it made her laugh. "Or no, _Lucifer's_ piano, my bad," she blew her stepdad a kiss and he shook his head, but still reached up to catch it much to Chloe's amusement. "You taking over tonight, little bro?" He nodded, already playing his rendition of the lead guitar part on the keys. She followed with the rhythm to create their own unique version of the classic anthem.

" _Living easy, living free. Season ticket on a one-way ride. Asking nothing, leave me be: taking everything in my stride._ " The crowd erupted again at his angelic voice, that too almost identical to his father's who's hand was currently being crushed by his very excited mom. " _Don't need reason, don't need rhyme. Ain't nothing I would rather do. Goin' down, party time. My friends are gonna be there too_ ," without even having to look, Charles Morningstar's fingers danced up and down the keys as he sang.

"WE LOVE YOU CHUCKY!" Ella, Linda, Maze, and Chloe all bellowed as loud as they could, effectively turning the young man's cheeks red, a cheesy grin breaking his attempted tough guy persona as he made eye contact with his dad and rolled his eyes.

He shook his head, the shaggy blonde hair flopping over those baby blues as Trixie joined him for the chorus, " _I'm on the highway to hell. On the highway to hell! Hiiiiighway to hell…_ "

* * *

Lucifer woke up to deafening silence, feeling much lighter than he'd grown used to without his wife sprawled out on top of him. Slightly disoriented, he yawned, blinking his heavy eyelids and feeling around Chloe's empty side of the bed. Waking up enough to realize she was probably in the bathroom, he propped himself up on his elbow and looked for the light under the door, but that wasn't there either. "Fridge," he chuckled, throwing off the covers and padding his way to the hall.

"What is it he's manipulating you to eat tonight, Detective?" He asked, tying his robe on the way down the stairs. The main level was dark, but there was always enough light coming through the giant windows to easily sneak a two a.m. trip to the kitchen. "Detective?" Nothing.

He checked the pantry and the breakfast nook before deciding she might have somehow ended up in the brat's room. Taking the stairs two at a time, he quietly opened her door, but there was still no sign of her. Trixie was out cold, her accent lights set to the same green as the stage lights in his dream. Her hair was as dark as it was when she'd gone to bed, shortly after arguing with her mom that she was too old to be read to. The doll currently wrapped tightly in her left arm discredited her argument, however. The only alien in sight wasn't tattooed, but sitting in the corner, repping the girl's future presidential campaign.

Lucifer shook his head, silently laughing at himself. He was mostly relieved that it had all been a dream and the little urchin was still little, but he also felt a confusing weight on his chest that created a stronger sense of urgency to find Chloe. There was one more place to look. He kept the door open just a crack, so as not to wake her, and headed up the other flight of stairs at the end of the open hall.

With as difficult as she was finding stairs lately, he couldn't quite understand why she'd chosen the fourth floor as her makeshift office aside from the views. The room at the top of the Hills Estate was almost all windows, including the large skylight on the ceiling. Tonight, the full moon glowed over the distant view of the Pacific and thousands of stars twinkled through even the brightest of the city lights as he scanned the room. Running a hand through his messy hair, he tiptoed over to see if maybe the Detective had fallen asleep in the giant, fluffy white sectional again, watching a movie on the projector screen that retracted into the ceiling. No dice.

Sticking his hands in the robe's pockets, he walked over to the pool table on the other side of the room, littered with files from their current case. He reached up to click on the stained glass light and found himself swallowing hard as he saw all of the charred bodies, knowing each of them had a significant other feeling a million times more lost than he did at the moment.

The heaviness on his chest intensified as he saw a bright pink sticky note on top of the final tox report of the latest victim. _Recreating hell?_ it read in Dan's chicken scratch handwriting. He went to crumple it up in a guilty rage, but realized it had been photocopied onto the report, giving it a rather strange illusion that his brain didn't completely want to comprehend in the middle of the night. Instead he picked up the whole file and held it close, his eyelids still heavy with sleep. The piece of paper was blocking out half of the paragraph with no way of moving it to read the rest of the information. He and Dan had already discussed it and figured it best to screen it out for as long as they could.

Throwing the file down and turning the light back off, he walked over to the west wall of windows and let his eyes readjust to the dark. The Detective had to be around the estate somewhere, but he'd checked all of her usual spots and a sense of dread was starting to creep in and squeeze at his stomach. This whole love thing was making the Devil physically ill.

He sighed, resting his forehead on the glass and peering down at the deck below. His blood ran cold at what he saw floating face down in the pool. "No," he blinked. He couldn't be seeing it right.

He rubbed his eyes hard and squinted, hoping what he thought he saw would just disappear as a trick of the dim lighting. "No," the image remained the same as his heart pounded in his throat. He turned around to sprint down the two sets of stairs, barely setting foot on the floor as he made his way out to the deck. "No no no!" He screamed, tearing off his robe and diving into the pool, his legs launching him right to her side.

"Chloe!" he frantically grabbed her and pulled her out of the water, but was met with a swift, hard punch to the face. "Owww!" he let go of her, his hands going straight to his throbbing nose. "What the bloody Hell just happened?!"

"Jesus Christ, Lucifer! You scared the shit out of me!" Chloe panted, ripping off her goggles and the snorkel, tossing them to the side of the pool before sheepishly reaching for her husband's hands. She cringed, "You okay?"

"I don't think I've ever been so aroused," he smirked, wiggling his nose, testing for damage. Satisfied that it wasn't broken, he took a good look at the wet blond in front of him as his heart rate attempted to go back to normal. She was in the red bikini he'd put in her dresser before the wedding, the top a bit too small now and adding to the truth of his previous statement. The matching line around her eyes and nose showed she hadn't been in bed for a while. "What in Dad's name are you doing out here? I thought you were..." the adrenaline was quickly wearing off and leaving him much more fragile than he'd ever admit. "I thought you were..."

She rolled her eyes, wincing as she stretched out her back. Lucifer noticed her bracelet and thought for a moment that a couple of the charms must have been at the bottom of the pool, but the top of her still very rounded belly popped out of the water and reminded him that he'd seen the extra charms, depicting the monuments from their travels, were so far only in his dream. He grabbed her wrist, "Didn't we agree you weren't going to wear that thing until we solved this case?"

Chloe snapped her hand back, covering the bracelet with the other. "Unless it came from _Sparkle_ , I really don't think it had anything to do with it. Why are you up?"

"I believe I asked you first."

The Detective ducked back down into the pool, treading water. "I woke up with raging heartburn and sweating my butt off."

He frowned sympathetically, but his eyes twinkled in fun, "Too hot in the five star hell hole?"

"Yes," she smirked. "And the idea of being weightless for a bit sounded great. She's sitting really low all of a sudden."

"He's dropped already?" The father asked, eyes wide as he crouched down to relax in the water with her. At her blank stare, he sighed, "I'm asking, not using the book against you."

Chloe nodded with that inwardly focused smile on her lips. "I think she's starting to. It seems so early. Trixie didn't until a few days before I went into labor."

"Maybe he's just impatient like his mum?" he grinned.

She splashed him in the face, "Oh like _me_?" He splashed her back and after a quick battle, ended up with her in an underwater bridal carry. They laughed at each other until her eyes grew soft and she reached up to push his wet hair out of his eyes, deep in thought. "Are we even ready?"

Lucifer gazed down at her and nodded, lifting her up out of the water enough to kiss her bump, "I don't know about me, but I know you are."

"You're going to be fine, Lucifer. Trixie said you were doing great with your first pancake," she smiled at his confused eyebrow raise. "The practice one you throw away."

"I _told_ her we weren't sending her off to a British boarding school," he set Chloe back in the water. "I had a dream about them just now before you went missing," he spoke before he really thought about it, feeling a bit bashful and cheesy. "Your little Urchin was in a band-"

"Wait," her mom held up a hand, "don't tell me. They sounded like the band Dan took her to see yesterday that she's been blasting non-stop ever since?"

"Ah, you mean the reason she keeps asking me what a safe word is since there isn't one 'once the Devil knows your name', apparently?" He rolled his eyes. "You know I very strictly adhere to the concept of the safe word."

She blushed, "Yeah thanks for telling her to ask _me_ about that, by the way. I thought she overheard us the other night until I heard her singing it later. _We belong to the City of Angels, trapped beneath our feet,_ " she broke out an air guitar and started singing an octave or two higher than usual, putting quite the grin on her husband's face. "How were they?"

"Well they _were_ good. _Urchins of Mars_ , I think it was," he laughed. "She brought her 'baby brother' out after a few songs and he was incredible. Piano of course. She said he'd just graduated high school with honors and was going to Berkeley for pre-med in the fall."

Chloe's was welling up as she cocked her head, watching Lucifer gush about their child as it still jabbed at her bladder while he spoke. It gave her butterflies to hear him talk about the future in such a positive light, knowing just how truly hellacious his past had been. As he described what their son looked like, she found herself closing her eyes in an attempt to keep the tears from flowing as the picture formed so clearly in her mind. He was so beautiful in her head and she physically ached, not knowing for sure if she would ever see him...or her...in person.

Before she let herself get too far down that train of thought, she snuck a deep breath to regain some control of her emotions. "What was his name?"

"Trixie called him Chucky, but he reacted about the same as when someone calls me Luce. He preferred Charles." Lucifer gave her a sad smile, before turning his attention to his hands, resting at the top of the water. "I'm assuming he was named after Charlotte."

He'd suggested the name before, but the entire situation still confused her, having thought at the time it was all happening that most everything was as normal as she'd grown up believing. "As much as I loved her, didn't she almost kill Linda?"

"That was Mum, right before she tried to take you hostage on the pier and Amenadiel slowed time so I could throw her into her own universe," he explained dryly.

"Oh, right…"

"Charlotte, as you know, was working to expose Pierce as the Sinnerman after the Goddess left her body. She was a friend. A very...very good friend after all."

"She was. I _do_ really miss her too," Chloe nodded sadly, wading over to the side of the pool and leaning on the edge to take in the view of the moon. Lucifer followed close behind and started rubbing her sore lower back as she relaxed into his touch. "Charles is kind of predictable though." He nodded, but did look a little hurt. "Damien?" she teased, putting a smile back on his face.

"And Rosemary for a girl?"

"I mean you _did_ say at one point that we made Rosemary's baby…"

"I did, didn't I? Of course you insisted that was _never_ going to happen," he laughed until he noticed her shoulders were shaking. "Chloe?" His big, gentle hand traveled up from her back to move her wet hair as she cried. "Darling?"

"I'm sorry. Nothing's...wrong it's just...the stupid hormones. They're supposed to level out at the end, but they haven't yet so I'm crying at nothing and it's ridiculous. I'm sorry." She shook her head, hiding her face from him, embarrassed and frustrated with herself, "Everything's fine….I'm just…really happy right now with you and...and...and Trixie...and... the stars that _someone_ neglected to tell me they had a part in."

"I assumed you would have done a thorough Google search on me," he laughed, relieved it was just the usual mood swing and not her recent guilt surrounding their case. She glared at him, but he moved behind her, wrapping his arms around to rest on her belly and tucked his chin on her shoulder. "Everything _will_ be fine. You made me promise to remind you of that." He kissed her neck, working his way up to nibble on her ear lobe, "And for the record, I love my soft Detective." He sighed contently, though he still hadn't completely calmed down from the earlier shock.

"Mmmmm…." she moaned, her mood swinging again, right into promiscuous as his hot breath sent shock waves down her spine. "I _do_ enjoy my soft Devil, I guess."

"Soft? That's not your snorkel, Detective," he chuckled into her ear, pulling her hips tight into his.

She squealed as Lucifer spread her legs with his knee and his right hand snuck into her bottoms, his left pulling at the string to untie her top. He moved with an unusual sense of urgency, flinging the small red piece of fabric across the pool before wrapping his hand into her ponytail, pulling her head back to gently bite at the sensitive skin on her throat.

The terror of those few moments, thinking he'd lost her forever, burned in the back of his mind as he pulled her bikini to the side and took her hard as she braced herself on the side of the pool. The sense of panic washing back over him drove his thrusts harder and faster as her muscles contracted around his cock, feeling even tighter than usual. Holding her firmly around her chest for support, he slid her feet together and pushed himself farther into her depths as she rose to her tiptoes, gasping for breath. He completely lost himself in her moans and the intoxicating sensation of her heat mixing with the cool water as he grunted with the exertion.

"Oww!" He would have missed the change in her screams had she not grown rigid, reaching back to grab at his thighs with both hands as her back arched away from his chest. "Oww, Lucifer stop. Stop! Monkey Bottoms. Monkey Bottoms!" He stopped as quickly as he physically could, pulling out with enough force to make her whimper loudly.

"Mommy?!" Trixie's door slid open above them as the girl stepped onto her dark balcony.

Before either of them could catch their breath, Chloe pushed Lucifer under the water, ducking enough to cover herself. "Go back to bed, baby. Everything's fine!"

"But I heard screaming."

"Everything's okay. I just saw a spider is all." She spoke quickly, having to keep a hand on her husband's head to prevent him from popping back up. Being Lucifer, he took the opportunity to have a little fun of his own. "Go inSIDE," she squeaked as his fingers pinched at her overly sensitive nipples, hidden under the water.

As soon as Trixie turned around, Chloe pulled the man back up by his hair, throwing him a death glare. "Goodnight Lucifer!" the little girl called back, shutting her door behind her.

"You almost drowned me for nothing, I see," he panted, rubbing his eyes and pushing the hair out of his face. He grew serious as he reached for his wife's hand, "Are you alright? You usually love that."

"I don't know," she shook her head, looking completely defeated and on the brink of tears again, her hands feeling around near the bottom of her bump. "I think she's just low enough to be in the way now. I'm sorry, Lucifer."

She was actually looking at him like she expected him to be angry with her. He wrapped her in his arms and just held her close, greeted with a light kick to the gut as he stroked her bare back. "Don't fret, Detective. I'll forgive you for cutting hump day short this week," he teased her, receiving a light swat to the back of the head. "Are you _trying_ to turn me on again?"

* * *

"It says here that when the baby starts to drop, it should take the pressure off your lungs so you can start to breathe a little easier. Huh, isn't that lovely, Detective?" Lucifer grinned at his wife from where he leaned on her desk, scrolling through his most recently downloaded 'daddy-app', as he was calling them.

Chloe glared up at him through her eyelashes from where she currently sat, using her belly as a shelf for the Estelle Marks file. She was leaning back and favoring her right hip as sitting up had become too uncomfortable on both ends. The pillow Fitz had brought for her from the couch in her office added insult to injury, but it did make the office chairs a tad more tolerable. "Again, not my first rodeo. But she's not following those rules. Imagine that." She shook her head, taking as deep a breath as she could. "Something's not right here…"

"What is it?" her partner clicked his phone off and shoved it into his vest pocket.

Noticing the look of alarm in his eyes, she pointed to the file, "I meant with the victim you found."

"Not mad at _him_ for hiding another victim from you, I see," Dan came up with a stack of files, pouting in his usual macho fashion.

"He told me about her the next day, not after the trail could go cold for a week."

"Honesty _is_ the best policy, Daniel. Take it from the Devil," he smirked. "Besides, your spawn wanted to know why she'd woken up in her big fluffy bed and not on the cold hard ground. What _did_ you do to that child?"

"You told my kid about a dead body she was around all night? What the hell is wrong with you, man?"

"Miss Marks was found down the hill, _off_ my property, and I did no such thing," Lucifer rolled his eyes. "I told the Urchin I'd found Mr. Taranshula's family and thought she'd be more comfortable at home. She bought it. After a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast." Chloe shivered, knowing full well there had to be at least some truth in the story he'd told her daughter. "I then divulged the rest of the night's events to the Detective because she's my wife and we don't keep secrets from each other anymore, do we?" He flashed her a smile, getting the rise out of his temporary partner he so desired.

She bit her lip, feeling a bit guilty. "Guys! Shut up," Chloe threw a stray paperclip at her husband. "What's wrong with this picture?"

"Daniel here is clearly a Beta, but insists on acting Alpha-Male," Lucifer teased, sending Dan's eyes to the ceiling.

"With...the case. Focus," she sighed. "Supposedly we already have the guy that killed Estelle Marks, right? This Roy Gayle?"

"Yeah," Dan nodded. "She managed to bite off a piece of his ear in the struggle and forensics found it in her throat under the rosary."

"Okay," she flipped through the pages, "the MO was the same, which led us to believe that she was connected to the others, but she doesn't fit the profile. Are we dealing with a copycat on top of a ring? She doesn't have a significant other, there's no _Sparkle_ jewelry registered to her, and she wasn't a mom. What connects her to the other four?"

Lucifer and Dan exchanged a quick glance, but it didn't go unnoticed. Ella took care of the explanation for them, popping up out of nowhere, carrying her laptop. "That depends on how you look at it. I mean, as I'm sure Dan can attest to, a guy doesn't totally see himself as a dad until he holds his kid, but as _you_ know, a mom is a mom once she knows she's pregnant, right?" The devastated look on her friend's face proved she'd said too much, "You didn't know she was five months pregnant, did you?"

"She was pregnant?" She whispered, her hand absentmindedly covering where she'd just felt an elbow. "Wait, you _knew_?" She scowled at Lucifer, her tone biting. "I _just_ stood up for you about being honest with me and you don't tell me she was _pregnant_?" She shook her head, ever so slightly, unable to look at him as he started to protest. "Ella, what else are they hiding from me?"

"N...nothing?" the tech stuttered, furrowing her eyebrows angrily at the men in the group. "I just found a few things and thought I'd come out here instead of making you move," she reached down to give her patient a comforting squeeze to the shoulder before setting her computer down and motioning for everyone to gather. "Estelle didn't have any jewelry from the store in North Hollywood, but she did have a mother's ring that was originally her mom's. Fitz went to see her this morning and found out that the baby was due the same month her dad was born and her boyfriend was born in the same month as her mom, so it worked to be passed down."

"Why haven't we heard from the boyfriend?" Dan asked.

Ella sighed, pulling up an obituary on the computer, "Because he died in a gnarly car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway two months ago.

Chloe went pale, skimming the words on the screen, "Oh God."

" _Sounds_ like one of His cruel jokes…" Lucifer stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets, "What other pathetically sad insites do you have on this poor woman?"

"Is it possible that this is it for victims, then? Do...do we have the only two culprits or…?" The woman in the chair asked, shifting awkwardly and dropping the file to the floor. Her husband was quick to pick it up and hand it back to her, but she still wouldn't look at him as she ripped it from his hands.

Dan shook his head, "There has to be at least one other guy." He reached over Ella and started moving the pictures in front of his ex, "We have Carl Grady and Roy Gayle in custody, but Gayle was seen by several witnesses at his niece's recital at the time of Michelle Jones' murder. Grady was already in custody."

"That's something else I was going to show you," Ella bobbed her head in a proud little dance. "I had my friend in Detroit hack Grady's dark web email. He's actually the one I was telling you about, Lucifer. Way back when you introduced yourself and said you were surprised I didn't hold your name...against…" she cleared her throat a little awkwardly, catching herself before she said too much yet again, reaching up to fiddle with the necklace that wasn't there. "Anyway, it was so encrypted LAPD's IT said they probably wouldn't be able to break through for a couple weeks, but luckily my friend Adolph practically sleeps with his computer...not like that. He got through in four days flat and basically sent me a key to the back door.

"Which is where I found these," she pulled out a stack of printed off emails from under her computer, dropping them dramatically overtop of the photos in front of Chloe. "Conversations dating back to 2015 between Carl Grady, Roy Gayle, and one Peter Johnson."

"What a dick," Lucifer snorted, receiving glares from the three others.

"Not only that, but each email sent after 2017 is signed with the senders initials and M.D.C"

"Mini Dick Convention?"

"Lucifer," Chloe hissed.

"Nope, but close. Kinda. Each of the rosaries had the letters M.D.C engraved on the back of the cross, so I did what any self respecting forensic scientist does."

"Did you google it?" the Detective looked up at her knowingly.

"I googled it," she nodded. "After about a thousand results of the Mad Dog Challenge, where I guess you have to chug a bottle of Mad Dog 2020 in under twenty seconds. I do not suggest watching videos by the way-"

"Ella."

"Right, sorry. I came across this." She went to the other tab, revealing a rather cheap, primitive looking web page.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, reading over her shoulder, " _Masculum Dominatione Certaturos_ \- Male Domination? Was _Extremely Sexist Nazis_ already taken?" He huffed, disgusted. "Lack creativity? Say it in Latin."

"What _is_ this?" Chloe asked, taking over control of the computer and clicking around, "Is it a...cult?"

"Honestly? I think at best they were trying to start one but it never took off. Thank God...sorry," Ella winced, looking at her friend.

"I can guarantee you Dad wouldn't care to help these men, either for or against. Is there a picture of this Harry Johnson?"

" _Peter_ Johnson, Lucifer. This guy probably killed two or three women. The least you could do is not make a joke about it," his wife snapped. He was about to make another phallic remark, but shut his mouth and shied away from it.

Dan noticed and elbowed him lightly in the arm in a silent, 'Been there.' " _Are_ there any pictures, Ella?" he asked.

"Not on the website. There aren't many pictures, just a really poorly written manifesto with every 'and' spelled with a single N. It just goes on and on about how men are better than women and blah blah blah. Women don't have any rights because God said so. I mean, yeah, some of that stuff is in there, but it's a classic case of cherry picking verses out of the Bible for their own means."

"Let me guess," Lucifer stared at the screen where she'd brought it up, thinking back to their first interrogation with Grady. "Women are to remain virgins until their wedding night? A smattering of similar gobilty gook?"

"You think that's what he's putting these women through Hell for? That doesn't make sense," Dan shuffled some papers, finding the simple outline he's scratched out the night before. "Three of them were married."

Chloe's eyes grew wide, shaking her head and struggled to reach for her tablet. "But not in time to give the illusion of being a virgin until that night…" She pulled up Michelle Jones' Wobble and clicked on one of the featured wedding photos, turning it around for the others to see. It looked a lot like Chloe's favorite picture from their wedding that now hung above the bed. Michelle's baby bump was just as visible in her white gown, her groom wrapping his arms around her from behind and cradling her belly, the both of them with huge, deliriously happy smiles on their faces. Finally looking at her husband, she saw he must have noticed the similarity of the picture as well, his jaw setting as if he was trying not to throw up. "Robin and Andrea have pictures a lot like this too," she said quietly, clicking off the screen and putting it down

"There's uh…" Ella started slowly, the tension thick, "over 2,500 Peter Johnsons in California, but we obviously need someone that _knows_ fire to at least like...teach the others how to do it, you know? I talked with the Fire Chief again and we were discussing just how fast the house would have to burn to die from _actually_ burning to death instead of smoke inhalation. So, out of those 2500 Peter Johnsons, only a hundred of them have a background in fire fighting. And one…" she pulled out a portrait of a burly looking, dark haired man in a black dress uniform, "is a dishonorably discharged Chaplain for the Sacramento Fire Department who was last seen in San Francisco six months ago when they were dealing with a string of arson cases. He was caught on surveillance carrying, ironically, a blow torch. But he was never caught and the fires there have stopped."

"He was practicing," Dan sighed.

Chloe picked up the picture and glared at it, shaking her head in disgust. "We have an APB out on this guy?"

"Better yet," Lucifer pulled out his phone, taking a picture of the portrait, "let's send it to Maze."

* * *

"Have I said something amusing, Doctor?"

Linda sat in her chair across from the couch, holding back a smile as her patient finished regaling her with the tales of his latest dream. She shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed for her momentary lapse in professionalism. "Sorry," she chuckled. "I'm just trying to get past the fact that _the_ _Devil_ seems to have a bit of a Partridge Family fantasy."

"Less Partridge Family, more Jonas Brothers. Chloe can't carry a tune to save her life." Lucifer raised an eyebrow at her, "The urchin's been hitting her guitar quite hard since she's been out of school for the summer. Naturally it just...seeped in, right?"

The therapist bit the top of her pen, pensively. "If it's just a normal dream, why bring it up in our session?"

"Because I…" he sighed, playing with his wedding ring. "I've felt this strange sort of…weight on my chest since I woke up and I can't seem to shake it."

"Nerves? Chloe's due in just a little more than four weeks. Perhaps she was right and the paternal instincts are kicking into full gear? Or, and this is my favorite option, maybe you're just excited, Lucifer!"

He shook his head, "It's more urgent than just being excited. It feel like...like something's pulling at me constantly and I can't explain what it is. The closest I can come to some semblance of the sensation is when I first came to Earth this time."

"Were you…homesick?" She asked, cautiously.

"You know I have _never_ considered that place my home," he snarled, his eyes flashing red for just a split second.

"Wrong wording, I apologize. What I meant was more along the lines of...familiarity. Hell was familiar to you and, it's natural in big changes that you'd want to go back to what was familiar." Linda stopped to collect her thoughts, clicking her pen. "You said you saw your son in the dream, right?"

Lucifer smiled proudly as he nodded, "Devilishly handsome, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah, I can't imagine _that_ ," she snorted. "You felt like you _had_ to find Chloe when you woke up after dreaming about your son. About your family's future. Is it possible that maybe that strange weight on your chest is just some powerful bundle of nerves telling you that you're ready to meet that boy you so vividly pictured in your mind? A...a yearning, maybe?" She stopped, brow furrowing as she thought about what she'd said. "Or daughter. Wait, do you _know_?"

"I've looked up all her symptoms. Everything's pointing to a boy," he said dismissively, squirming nervously on the couch. "As unicorns and rainbows as that sounds, Doctor, I'm not sure I buy it. I keep having these epically sappy, diabetes inducing dreams where I'm happier than Kim Kardashian at a Spanx sale, but something always happens to prove that….that…."

"That what, Lucifer?"

He gave her a sad smile, "That it's not forever."

"Can you expand on that? What about _this_ dream showed that. It was a _good_ dream, wasn't it? You _are_ allowed to have happy dreams, you know."

"Everyone else had aged. Very well, yes, I mean _you_ must have excellent genes. But...everyone aside from Maze, Amenadiel, and myself had grown roughly eighteen years older. Some drunk lady called _my Detective_ a cougar and she was...she was embarrassed. By me. Because I still looked like this. What do I _do_ , Doctor? Gray hair dye and take a class in stage makeup?"

He looked at her with hurt in his eyes, almost begging for answers that wouldn't crush his soul. The Devil stood up, quickly pacing between the couch and the coffee table, "So now, even if this undoubtedly small dicked Peter Johnson doesn't come after my wife, even though he's out there killing women _exactly_ like her, I still have to worry about losing her. Whether it be in...in childbirth, or a car accident, or a suspect shoots her when she goes to arrest him, or she drowns in our pool. And here I _thought_ the worst would be if she dies of old age because I can't do anything to stop _that_!"

Lucifer stopped pacing, pounding the window sill angrily, "I'm _the Devil_ , Linda! I really don't get a happy ending. I'm no better than Cain. Perhaps Chloe _is_ my punishment after all. She made me swear to her that I wouldn't kill myself while I still can before she...goes...and Dad _knows_ I'd never break a promise to her. So I'll have to keep reliving the deaths of people I love, my _family_ , for all eternity until I've finally had enough and hightail it back to Hell with my tail between my legs. Where He wants me. And He'll win. Again."

Linda got up from her spot and lightly grabbed his arm, giving it a comforting squeeze, "Lucifer, what did you mean when you said you _thought_ the worst would be Chloe dying of old age?"

He closed his eyes, letting the rage he was still feeling toward his father simmer. No matter how hard he had been trying to focus on Chloe's theory about her and their child being some sort of Divine apology, his instinct still told him his Dad had something up his sleeve. "My Detective is good. To a nauseating degree, like I've told her before. But she's also human. I know in the back of her mind she still thinks I'll leave her when she grows old and gray, but what if she's too embarrassed to be seen with _me_ when she gets to that point and leaves. _Rejects_ me like everyone else. She's hardly spoken to me since yesterday, so we're nearly there already, aren't we?"

His friend gently guided him back to the couch without him really noticing and reclaimed her spot in the chair, "You mentioned Amenadiel made an appearance in your dream."

"So we're done focussing on me then? Yes, he did and no, I don't know when he's coming back. Though congrats on receiving my brother as Maze's leftovers," his tone was a bit more condescending than he'd meant. He sighed, "I just mean Maze isn't exactly in the position to relinquish rights to you when they hadn't exactly been-"

Linda stopped him. "That's not where I was going with that, but...I appreciate it. I was just going to point out that you and your brother were working through your differences and becoming quite close again when he took Charlotte up to Heaven. And he hasn't come back yet through some...pretty shockingly huge changes in your life."

"And he's ignored my prayers," he huffed.

"Lucifer, I do believe, in my heart, that your brother will be back. All this time away he's probably just...tying up loose ends or taking a page from your book and exchanging favors for her place up there if someone doesn't think she redeemed herself enough. He isn't abandoning you. And neither will Chloe. She's not your mother."

"Mum…wasn't exactly graceful about how she did anything, as you experienced first hand." He hung his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought about a conversation he'd had with Charlotte, shortly after her return, "But she thought she was doing everything _for_ us. Because she loved us in her own odd, jealous, rather violent way. She just wanted us to all be together, no matter the cost…"

Linda looked a little flustered at talking about the Divine Goddess again, but took a deep breath and nodded, "I think that's called being a mom. And sometimes, even if you feel like your abandoning them, removing yourself from someone's life is what's best for them." She lost herself, a million miles away in her own thoughts until her patient started to protest, "I mean you throwing her into the...giant space vagina as you call it. It wasn't going to end well for her to break into Heaven and duke it out with your dad, nor was she going to last much longer on Earth, so she had to leave you in order for your life to continue on as normal as it can possibly be."

"Being the Devil in Los Angeles."

"Exactly," she smiled.

He finally looked back up at her, his eyes tired. "I don't want Chloe making the same mistakes that my mum made. I don't want her risking everything because she has this notion in her mind that our child will come out glowing and the doctors will take him from us and we won't be together. I want her safe and...and Miss Lopez isn't wearing her cross anymore so is she even in the right state of mind to help in the delivery? I just...I wish…"

"G...glowing?" Linda's eyes traveled to the degree on her wall, carefully hiding her last encounter with a Celestial Light. She shook it off, speaking to the man as sturnly as she dared, "Lucifer, Chloe Decker...Morningstar, sorry...is a badass. She is a strong woman in excellent shape and she will be just fine. Though, I would suggest no more binge watching _Call the Midwife_ until after the baby's born," she had to feign a cough to cover up the grin, remembering Chloe's story from their slumber party. "I get it, I do. You're worried about the woman you love. And maybe Trixie's right. Maybe you _are_ going soft."

"Soft? Why does everyone keep saying I'm going soft? Very demasculinizing." He rolled his eyes, "Besides, if I'm going so soft, why did my Devil Face pop out without my control, hmm? Doesn't seem like a very _soft_ thing to do, does it?"

Linda's eyes sparkled mischievously, trying to decide if she should divulge her theory on that or not. She and Chloe had discussed it over a ladies Sunday brunch right after it happened and came to much the same conclusion. "Mama bears get on their hind legs to make them appear bigger when their cubs are in danger. Geese spread their wings and give chase. You just...happen to have something scarier." At his throaty scoffing noise, she closed her notebook and crossed her legs. "But, since our time is up, why don't you tell me why my homegirl isn't speaking to you and I can try to help. As your friend."

"You mean she hasn't texted you about it?"

She shrugged, "I got a text about how men are idiots, but that's pretty normal."

He huffed, "Daniel and I decided to hide the fact that our latest victim was pregnant, given her uh...condition. She found out about it yesterday when we were discussing the case and all I've heard from her since then is how I'm insensitive. I guess I thought we were _being_ sensitive by not telling her, but what do I know?" he crossed his arms, throwing one of his usual hissy fits on the couch.

It was Linda's turn to pinch the bridge of her nose, "Lucifer, you cannot just think of her as your beautiful pregnant wife. Like I said, she's a badass. And she's still your Detective. Your partner. You have to treat-."

Just then Lucifer's phone went off for a text. He put a finger up, pulling it out of his suit pocket and grinned, "Oh look, the decorators just finished the nursery. I better be off!"

"I thought Chloe was…" but before she could finish her thought, he was already out the door, only popping back for a small wave, "going to paint. Did he hear a single thing I said? Nope. Probably not. Men…"

* * *

It had been four days with almost as many words from Chloe. No matter what Lucifer said in the way of an apology, he kept getting the same response, "You don't understand, Lucifer. It's fine." But things were so clearly not fine that even Dan noticed on Friday when he came to pick up Trixie for their Father's Day camping trip. Granted, she was mad at him for the same reason, but he at least got a, "Have fun!" as they left, while her husband barely received a thank you on Saturday night for the hour he'd spent rubbing her feet as she read through files, watching _Bones_.

Finally, he decided to give her some space on Sunday morning and tried taking his frustrations out on a project he'd been putting off, but that only seemed to add to them. "You wouldn't be caught dead with one of these inside you, would you old chap?" Lucifer sighed, asking the Corvette after his fifth and last attempt installing the blasted carseat in the Range Rover. It was going about as well as his Ikea experience whose recent flashback made him pay off Trixie to put the crib together while her mother was at work.

Feeling more than a little defeated, he shut the door and left the pieces all over the garage and went to find Chloe. Enough was enough, and he knew exactly how to push her buttons to make her talk. Devising a plan in his head, he was searching the main floor when he heard music from upstairs and saw that the door to the room between the master suite and Trixie's was open. When he got to the doorway, he was going to make a snide comment about her warming up to his surprise, exactly to her previously stated specifications, right down to the damned yellow puppies, when he realized the music was actually just her singing with her earbuds in. He wasn't about to interrupt that.

Instead, he leaned on the door frame and watched as she half danced, half waddled around, folding the massive pile of onesies she'd been collecting the past few months and organizing them in the second drawer of something she kept calling a 'changing table'. She wasn't wearing any makeup, her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, and she was still in the sports bra and shorts she'd worn to bed, but she was radiant. She really did look absolutely Heaven sent, even if she didn't exactly sound it. " _Say my name. Sun shines through the rain. A whole life so lonely, and then come and ease the pain. I don't want to lose this feeeeeling…_ "

Lucifer dug in his pocket for his Zippo, waving it back and forth to see how long it would take her to notice. She made it through the entire next verse before he grew impatient and started singing along with her, " _Close your eyes, give me your hand. Do you feel my heart beating? Do you under-_ "

"God dammit Lucifer!" She finally turned around, her cheeks growing steadily redder the more he laughed, clicking his lighter closed. She threw the onesie she was folding at him and growled, pulling out her headphones. "What?"

The man in question picked up the tiny article of clothing and waved it around like a flag, "I surrender. _I'm an angel, no really_?" he read, holding it up with a perplexed look on his face, seeing the wings printed on the back. "Miss Lopez I presume?"

"Yep," she snatched it away from him and added it to the drawer. "You realize I'm still mad at you, right?"

"You don't say," he watched her waddle to the pile and back before he reached out and gently poked her belly button that was definitely no longer an inny. "Boop," he laughed, internally bracing himself.

If looks could kill, he'd be a goner. "What...are you doing?" she swatted his hand away.

"Ooooh, I could report you to Pillsbury. I think you're supposed to giggle or something," he gave her a cheeky grin, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead, but ended up with a slap to the face instead. He straightened back up, putting one concealing hand in his pocket and rubbed his cheek with the other. She really had no idea what that did to him. "So everything's _not_ fine, is it?"

She rolled her eyes, "So you're being an ass to try and get a rise out of me? Nice."

"It's working though, isn't it?" Chloe went to leave the room, but he wasn't giving up just like that. "Your feet don't look very happy, Detective."

Turning around, she looked like a bull about to charge. "Did you _really_ just make a...a _Happy Feet_ joke? You _do_ realize that I don't WANT to waddle around everywhere, right? But your kid's massive head is currently sitting _so_ damn low I swear I can feel it when I try to sit down. And my joints down there are working on _separating_ so they can stretch wide enough for it to come out from a particularly small hole that I do hope you realize will take _quite_ a while to go back to what you so thoroughly seem to enjoy, _if_ it decides to go back.

"And if I'm a little short with you, I am so friggin sorry because for some reason, I thought you of all people would treat me a little less like the incubator I've essentially been reduced to for the past eight months. You used to not care about anyone but yourself and for thirty seconds, you could have gone back to that guy and not thought, 'Oh, my wife is pregnant so telling her one of our victims was pregnant too will hurt her because she's so fragile'," she had obviously been working on her angry British accent.

"I said I was sorry, Detective. But that was a decision made by both Daniel and myself."

" _You're_ my husband, Lucifer. What happened to 'I will be your loyal, loving, goofy, supportive partner both at work and at home'? _Partners_ don't hide information from each other. I can handle most anything about a case. You know that."

"And I also know how guilty you've been feeling about this particular one, so I'm sorry I just wanted to keep that stress from you. It's not good for you right now, Detective. You're…" he stopped himself, but risked reaching out to put a hand on her twitching belly. Seeing the exasperated look in his wife's eyes, he was shocked she didn't flinch away from him.

"Yeah, I know," she nodded, exaggerating her gestures. "You don't _get_ it. You don't understand what it's like to be at the mercy of what everyone is telling you, or not telling you, because you're no longer allowed to go to crime scenes 'just in case'. You don't think I want to just take my leave already and spend the next four weeks cuddling in bed with my daughter and my husband, watching Rom Coms while I wait for what...the next messiah to make her appearance?"

"Messiah?" that caught him off guard. "You think…?"

"Point being," she interjected, "I can't just _do_ that, Lucifer. In case you haven't noticed, this case hits a little too close to home and I'm not just going to hand over the reigns when we're so close."

Lucifer cautiously moved his hand up to his wife's face, wiping away the angry tears on her cheeks with his thumb. "LAPD and Maze are both looking for Johnson. Knowing Maze, she'll have him hog tied in the boot of the Douche's car before our dinner tonight."

"Yeah," she sounded cautiously hopeful, reaching up to hold her husband's hand to her cheek, relaxing into his touch as her other hand rested on his hip, pulling him closer. "Look, I know you were just trying to protect me, but...you don't have to do that...okay?"

He wrapped his arms around her and played with her hair, resting his chin on her head. He sighed with relief, grateful that she was letting him hold her again, "I believe I actually made a vow to do exactly that, Mrs. Morningstar." He chuckled, "And that giant yellow hippo over there is looking particularly threatening…"

"Don't. I'll have to pee again!" Chloe finally laughed, pulling away. "Did you get the carseat in?"

"I have reason to believe it's defective."

"Uh-hu," she pursed her lips, squinting at him, "did you try your mojo on it yet?"

* * *

"Wanna do some shots while Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are out fighting with the spawn restraint?" Maze asked, carrying a bottle of tequila, taking a seat at the counter across from Chloe and Trixie. She set up three glasses and started pouring.

"Maze," Chloe stopped chopping long enough to grab the glass from Trixie's hand.

"Alright. More for me," the demon shrugged and took her friend's shot. "What's for dinner?"

"Tacos!" Trixie squealed, going over to the stove to stir the hamburger. "It's not Tuesday, but we still thought it would be fun for Father's Day."

"Careful, Monkey."

"I'm eleven, Mom. I can handle the no touching the hot stove thing," she rolled her eyes in her best small-Chloe mannerism, making her mom do the same thing.

Maze poured herself another shot, but sipped it this time. "I just love that you convinced Lucifer to do a Father's Day dinner."

Chloe chuckled softly, but her heart squeezed in her chest. "Trixie, will you wash the rest of the tomatoes for the salsa? Mom needs to go talk to Maze about something." She nodded toward the deck and put down the knife. "Maze?"

She looked skeptical, but followed her out into the hot June air anyway, closing the door behind them and crossing her arms. "Is this where you tell me it's not Lucifer's?" she laughed.

"Absolutely not," the blond glared at her, jaw set.

"What is it then? Johnson? Because I do have leads, Decker. I just took a break for this weird little party."

"No, I know you'll find him. I have faith in you, it's just…" Chloe rung her hands nervously. "Can you keep a secret? From Lucifer?"

"I didn't think you two were hiding anything from each other anymore?" She looked impressed and disgusted at the same time. "But I'm listening."

"I'm uh…I'm terrified, Maze. Not...not about the case. I mean there are thousands of pregnant women and unwed or very newly wed moms in LA and I don't honestly think their jewelry had anything to do with their murders. I know it's freaking Lucifer out and, I guess there's a tiny part of me that's freaked out by it too, but…"

"So what are you 'terrified' of then?"

She shook her head, fighting off tears and actually doing a pretty good job of it. "I need a favor."

"That's your husband's thing."

"From you. Specifically." At her friend's eyebrow raise, she took a deep breath and continued on, her voice shaking, "I had an epidural with Trixie so...I don't exactly know what I'm getting myself into in the first place. But, she ended up getting stuck and her heart rate dropped and my blood pressure skyrocketed, so they took me in for an emergency C-Section. By the time they were ready to operate, she, I don't know...repositioned herself and was too far down, so in order to get her out, they had to cut and pull her out before...before it was too late."

"Huh," Maze's eyes were a touch wider than usual, her tongue on her front teeth like she was about to say something completely insensitive. Instead she correctly read the look on her friend's face and backed off. "Ouch."

"The doctors said that both my little girl and I could have died because I couldn't...I couldn't get her out," she flashed a sad smile, looking down to cradle her bump. "We don't know if...if this is an angel or, I keep having this wild feeling that she's going to grow up and save the world from armageddon, but...either way, I know, for whatever reason, Lucifer's dad wanted this baby specifically to be born for _something_."

The demon swallowed hard, her tough shell cracking ever so slightly as she took a step toward Chloe, reaching out to lightly grab her arm. She had a feeling she knew exactly where this was going, "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because if that happens again," her voice cracked, "I need you to um...to use your skills. You are the _only_ person that could stand up to Lucifer in that situation. I don't...I don't _want_ to die, but...you have to promise me that if it comes to that…"

"I'm the only soulless one you know, you mean." Maze huffed, lightly biting her bottom lip. She kept a gentle hand on the woman's arm, but Chloe had never actually seen the mix of hurt and anger that now radiated so strongly from her face. "Decker, I was forged in the bowels of Hell, _literally_ to protect Lucifer. Do you really think I'd mutilate his pet detective, my _friend_ , just to save a parasite? Do you realize what that would do to him?"

"Maze, this 'parasite' _is_ part of Lucifer. And maybe I am just a pawn in his dad's game instead of this great gift he thinks I am, but what's most important here is our child. You have to give me your word that you'll protect what you were...forged to protect. You're the only one that could keep a clear enough mind to do it. The...the strength to do what's right if it comes to that."

"I made a deal with Trixie when we moved in together that no one would ever hurt you. What exactly would I tell her, hmm?"

"That I love her very very much and to watch over her baby brother or sister. And I did what I had to do."

Maze looked like she was going to be sick from all the emotions she was seeing in Chloe's eyes, but pulled her friend in for a somewhat uncharacteristic hug anyway. She let out a deep sigh from where her head rested on the Detective's shoulder, but the shouting coming from below was her excuse to break away without giving her a real answer. "I think our morons are about to kill each other."

Trixie, Chloe, and Maze all stood at the garage door in the walk-in basement watching the argument unfold. Maze of course had to pull out her phone and start recording, walking over to lean on the Corvette's fender for a better angle. Chloe kept one hand on Trixie's shoulder and the other ended up covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh at how frustrated the two were getting.

"I've done this before, Lucifer!" Dan shouted from the back seat.

The door was open and Lucifer stood just outside of the car, hands in his pockets, suit jacket pushed behind his arms, "Indeed, but on custom Italian leather?"

" _Why_ is it always about the 'Custom Italian Leather'?" the Douche broke out his terrible British accent. "Do you even know what a little kid is gonna do to that?"

"Gentlemen!" Trixie broke away from her mom's grip, running over to the cardboard box and pulling out the instruction manual. "Lucifer, step aside. Dad, get out of the Range Rover."

"Heh!" Lucifer laughed, digging in his pocket to slip the little girl a Benjamin. "If you can figure this out, you'll automatically be accepted to Nasa."

An hour later, Trixie had successfully installed her little sibling's car seat and still had enough time to finish chopping the veggies for the salsa and set the table while Chloe finished up in the kitchen. The chef would have been done sooner, but had to keep swatting her husband's hands away from the cool ranch Doritos he insisted would be the best chips for the occasion. "Will you go sit down, Lucifer?" she asked pushing him away as he tried to kiss her yet again.

"Just doing what the apron says. And I missed you." he wiggled his eyebrows at her, stealing one last chip and taking the tray of taco meat with him to the table.

"Lucifer! You're on this end." Trixie pulled out the chair at the end of the table across from Dan.

Maze laughed, pouring another Tequila, "Keeping the children separated, little mama?"

"Nope!" the girl grinned, proud of herself. "Dads get the place of honor for Father's Day."

The Devil raised an eyebrow, "Well I'm not exactly one yet…"

"Close enough," Chloe pointed out, bringing over the shells and salsa, carefully taking a seat across from Maze.

"And step dads count too," Trixie insisted, giving both of the men kisses on the cheek and sitting down by the demon.

As everyone dug in, Chloe wiggled around in her chair, clearly uncomfortable. Lucifer noticed and grabbed her hand under the table, "Are you alright, Detective?" She nodded, raising a finger and getting up to cross the room. He watched a little helplessly, not knowing exactly what she was doing. When Trixie snorted, he turned his attention back to his step-daughter. "What?"

"Mom's walking a _lot_ like a penguin," she laughed.

"Shhhh," he hushed her urgently, hearing her footsteps approach.

"You already got in trouble for that, didn't you?" she asked as if she didn't have the exact same sense of humor as the Devil she questioned.

"Maybe." He turned around to see his wife carrying a stuffed donut, complete with pink frosting and blue and yellow sprinkles, and couldn't help the guffaw that escaped his lips. He did feel a little better though when he heard the others behind him make the same noises.

"Say...nothing…" Chloe sighed, plopping the pillow down and taking a seat. "Just pass the black olives."

By the time everyone was sufficiently stuffed, the conversation had turned back to their case. No matter how many times Chloe made the 'not in front of Trixie' eye contact with her ex, her friend, or her husband, no one seemed to listen and her daughter ended up asking so many questions that she started hypothesizing motives and whereabouts for Peter Johnson as well. By the time her guesses went from alien abduction to more realistic possibilities, her mom decided to call it before she ended up with nightmares. "Trixie, don't you have presents for Dad and Lucifer?"

"Oh yeah!" she popped up and ran to her room, returning with two bright red gift bags. She handed one to Dan, who was all smiles and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and one to Lucifer whose completely baffled expression almost broke Chloe's heart. "Daddy, you first!"

"I'll bite," he grinned excitedly, pulling out his gift. "That is beautiful, Munchkin. I'll use it at work." He turned it around so everyone could see. On one side it read _Best Dad Ever_ in Trixie's trademark bubble letters. The other had one of her drawings, this one of her and Dan carrying a rather large tub of pudding, a big gold badge on his chest.

"Now you, Lucifer!"

He still looked a tad confused, but reached into the bag, pulling out a brand new flask. He laughed, "I thought your mum said no more carrying a flask if I'm to be a respectable dad?"

"I found a loophole," the small brunette shrugged smugly. "What's it say? What's it say?"

The picture on the back was the drawing she'd hung on the fridge shortly before the wedding. They were at the piano in the penthouse, Lucifer with bright red horns and a tail visible behind his shoulder. He chuckled, turning it over, " _My favorite Step-Devil_? How many do you have?" he asked, winking at her and reaching for the bottle of tequila that Maze had almost finished.

Chloe was dabbing her napkin at her eyes when she heard her daughter's phone go off. "Monkey, I thought we said no phones tonight?"

"Sorry mom," she shrugged, pulling her phone from her pocket. "It's just a Tinsel Tweet."

"A what?" her dad asked.

"A Tinsel Tweet," she repeated. "Some college student at the Tinseltown Tribune listens to the police scanner all day and Tweets highlights. Usually they're super funny. Mostly drunk people getting into fights. This time it looks like a fire in Sherman Oaks."

All of the adults looked at each other, obviously thinking the same thing after having discussed the case just minutes before. Chloe watched as her husband screwed the top back on his new flask and slipped it in his left jacket pocket, pulling his phone out of the right. "What are you doing?" she asked as he started dialing.

"Sherman Oaks is where our very new, very single mum of a Lieutenant lives, isn't it?" he asked as it rang. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Fitz isn't picking up her phone."

Maze was the first to start down the stairs to the garage, "Let's go get my bounty, bitches!"

Dan and Lucifer both got up and headed for the stairs, but Chloe reached up to grab her husband's hand, "We don't _know_ if this is connected."

"If it is, we can catch him before he strikes again." Lucifer squeezed her hand when he saw the nervous look in her eyes, "If you're here, nothing will happen to me, remember?"

"Can I come?" Trixie perked up.

"Absolutely not. You have to stay and watch your mum," he looked at her sternly as he grabbed the keys to the Range Rover and disappeared down the stairs.

* * *

Chloe was reading through the files yet again as she anxiously waddled laps around the pool table she'd turned into a murder board. She hadn't received a single text from her husband, so her heart was in her throat, but it was something Trixie had said before starting the movie that stuck with her and echoed in her mind. "It's a star, isn't it?"

"What was that, baby?"

"Look," she pointed to the map in the center of the table. There were red sticky note flags for locations of fires and yellow for where the bodies had been found. "Inglewood to Burbank. Burbank to Santa Monica. Santa Monica to LA. LA to San Fernando. and San Fernando to Inglewood. It's just like those connect the dot things I used to do when I was little."

"Oh, when you were little, huh?" she'd laughed, but her eyes were quickly moving from city to city, angry with herself for having missed it for so long. It really was a damn star. "Why don't you go pick out a movie and I'll be right there," she gently pushed her daughter away from the table, still eyeing the map and grabbed a Sharpie and a ruler, reaching for her phone to text this new piece of information to her husband. "That's not just a star…" she muttered.

By the time Luke Skywalker and Obiwan Kenobi took off with Han and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon, Trixie was passed out on the big fluffy couch and the Detective had yet to put her work aside. Instead, she'd joined her daughter with her laptop and was currently scrolling through the archives of the Tinseltown Tribune, grasping at straws for even the slightest insight to their suspects motives or a clue to his current location if he wasn't in Sherman Oaks.

Something actually did catch her eye when she'd scrolled far enough to get to the articles from 2014. " _Wildfire Hero Loses Family in Father's Day Inferno_ ," she read, clicking the link, suddenly coming face to face with those same dark eyes from the dress portrait on the pool table. He was out of uniform, on the beach with his family, one arm around a tall redhead, the other supporting a little boy on his hip. They were all smiles in their bathing suits. Chloe blinked away the sympathetic tears clouding her vision and scanned the article, "Oh God…" She grabbed her phone, calling the number to Ella's lab at the precinct.

"Forensics!" her chipper voice answered.

"Ella? What are you doing at work on a Sunday night?"

"I just got done having dinner with my dad over Skype. Wifi's better here. What's up Mama Decker? Is it baby time?" She asked, sounding ready to pounce through the phone.

"No no, I was just going to leave a message to see if we could get Angela and Henry Johnson's final tox reports from Sacramento? June of 2014?"

"Our suspect's family?" She sounded somber, "I'm way ahead of ya. I was going to call, but Dan said you guys had plans. I'll get them to you right away. There's something you'll want to see."

The scientist hung up in her haste, but Chloe assumed she'd just email them and set her phone down, reaching over to gently stroke her daughter's dark brown hair. Just then, she heard the front door open and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She paused the movie and was about to call to the returning party, but noticed something was off. They weren't chatting amongst themselves and, even being four floors up, the house was open enough that she could tell whoever had opened the door was trying to be quiet. She listened for Lucifer's keys hitting the bowl, but there was nothing, just an eerie silence as her head pounded with adrenaline.

Chloe sat frozen for a moment, trying to talk herself down. She hadn't actually heard anything. It had to have been something in the movie, like Chewie breathing just right to sound like a door creaking open. She took as deep a breath as she could through her nose and let it out slowly through her mouth before closing her computer and struggling out of the deep couch in an attempt to not wake Trixie.

Being overly cautious, she tiptoed over to the window facing the pool where a majority of the kitchen, dining room, and living room were visible through that level's floor to ceiling windows. She gasped as her heart stopped, jumping back to take cover behind the pool table, forgetting her size and running right into the unforgivingly hard mahogany. "Oww," she cringed. A protesting kick told her the baby was at least okay, but she'd definitely have a bruise.

If not worse. He was down there. Peter Johnson himself.

"I know you're here somewhere...Skank," he cackled, already on the second floor.

Chloe's breathing grew ragged, desperately searching the room for her gun from where she stood. She usually brought it up with her if she and Trixie were home without Lucifer, a habit she'd grown used to from her years as a single mom. But tonight she had been so exhausted from picking up from dinner that she completely forgot.

And it was going to cost her.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat and ran as quietly as she could to the couch, putting a hand over her daughter's mouth as she shook her awake, "Shh shh shh, it's okay baby. We're going to play a game, okay?" she whispered.

"Mhmmhmm?" she mumbled quietly, her big brown eyes scared and confused.

"We have to go down to my room, okay? But you cannot make a sound. Not one sound, got it?" When she nodded, the Detective helped her up and then accepted the assistance getting up herself, putting her finger to her mouth in another stern warning. When they got to the stairs, she held a hand up for Trixie to wait as she stretched as far as she could to make sure the coast was clear.

There was no sign of Johnson, so they made their way down to the third floor, Chloe absentmindedly thanking her father-in-law that the stairs were carpet covered metal and weren't about to squeak like they did in the house she'd grown up in. For a very brief moment, she caught herself smiling, imagining Lucifer throwing a fit for thanking his dad when _he_ had been the one to design the house. Thinking of Lucifer only pulled her to their room faster. _If we can just get to a good hiding spot, he'll leave and I can see my husband again, right?_ she thought, not letting herself imagine how else the situation could go.

She grabbed Trixie's hand hard and pulled her along, the poor girl still so confused, not realizing there was actually someone in their home. By the time Chloe latched the door shut and pushed in the lock as softly as she possibly could, she was in tears. "Mommy?" she mouthed, lip quivering.

"Get in the bathtub," the blond nudged her toward the bathroom without an explanation as she darted for her nightstand, pulling out her gun and a clip, checking to make sure it was loaded.

"W...why? What's going on?"

The mom checked to make sure the safety was on and took her daughter's hand, pulling her to the bathroom and motioning for her to get in the massive tub. "Listen Monkey," she put her nose just centimeters away from hers as she whispered, "there is a very bad man in our house and we're hiding from him, okay? If he can't find us, I think he'll go away." She ducked over to the door and locked that one as well, carefully joining her daughter in what she hoped would continue to be her safe haven. Wrapping her arms around Trixie, she squeezed her tight and kissed the side of her head, "We're going to be okay."

"Can we call Lucifer?" she asked through her tears.

Chloe's heart sunk again. She'd left her phone on the couch. "Do you have your phone?"

"N...no...it's on the charger in my room. I'm sorry, mommy."

"Okay," she nodded, trying to look strong for her scared little girl. "It's okay. It's not your fault. We'll be fine. Just breathe."

* * *

"Just a run of the mill kitchen fire?" Lucifer repeated the fireman's words, sounding more than a little disappointed. "You mean we stood around questioning neighbors for an hour while none of you people would so much as talk to us when we had _actual_ reason for concern for a family's well being and no one could be bothered to come out and say 'Hey, it's just a kitchen fire. No need for LAPD'?"

"Lucifer," Dan came up from behind, having talked with the family whose home was now partially rubble. He nodded back to them and gave his temporary partner the 'shut up' eyes. "They're all accounted for. Even the family cat. Fitz lives about four blocks from here so Maze is checking on her, but I don't think this had anything to do with our guy."

The man in the suit turned to the fireman he'd just chewed out and flashed a smile, "Right. Great work. Have a lovely evening." He turned to walk back to the SUV leaving the young man baffled and maybe a bit scared. "Come along, Daniel. Let's pick up Maze on our way back. I think the Urchin said something about a game of Monopoly to finish the night. I call the top hat, of course."

After they'd collected the Demon and popped in to make sure all was well at their Lieutenant's townhouse, they started back to the Hills Estate. Dan sat in the passenger seat while Maze fiddled with the cover of the carseat in the back, smacking her gum. The two of them were talking about Peter Johnson and the two leads Maze had found through her contacts, but Lucifer was having a very hard time concentrating on anything but the drive home. He could have sworn someone was saying his name over and over again, but every time he heard it plain as day, the two passengers looked at him like he was crazy for asking what they wanted.

"You alright man?" Dan asked after the third time.

"I'm…" he shook his head, looking quizzically at them both as he drove. He shook it off, pulling his phone out of his pocket as it started vibrating, clicking on the first message as his eyes grew wide.

"No texting and driving," Maze quoted in her Chloe voice, snatching the phone out of his hand.

"Would you at least text the Detective and tell her we're on our way home. I wasn't getting any service back there," he rolled his eyes at the massive inconvenience, starting in on a rant about cell towers.

"Uh, Lucifer," she interrupted him, the phone to her ear. "It's your security system. The fire alarms are going off…"

"What?" he scoffed, though he felt like the bottom had just dropped out of his stomach. "It's probably just the Detective making herself a pizza. She's always hungry and the blasted smoke alarm goes off every time." He rambled on, trying to convince himself that it was nothing, but the voice in his head kept growing stronger. _Brat?_ he finally realized who it belonged to. _Is she…?_ he pushed down hard on the accelerator.

"If it's nothing than why are we going…" Dan leaned over to look at the speedometer, "Damn, 120 already? Jesus...you might wanna…slow down...a little..."

"You do realize your child is with Chloe, right?" Gripping the wheel as tightly as his fingers would allow, Lucifer maneuvered through traffic with ease, barely blinking. "Maze, get on Dan's tablet while he pees himself. That first text was from the Detective. Trixie figured it out that the crime scenes make a bloody pentagram," he seethed.

Maze pulled out the computer and brought up a picture of the same map that Chloe had on the pool table. She zoomed in on the center of the ring and compared it to the map on Google Earth she'd brought up beside it. "Looks like the center's at a...Marlay and North Crescent?"

"That's just up the block…"

"Does this thing go any faster?"

What should have been a twenty minute drive only took seven, but the cop in the car didn't say a single word. He was trying for the umpteenth time to call either Chloe or Trixie, when they turned the corner, tires screeching, to see the flames coming out of the first three floors of the Hills Estate.

"No no no! Detective!" Lucifer barely had time to put the car in park before he and Dan both bailed, running toward the front door, smoke billowing out in thick black puffs. "Chloe!"

"How do you know they're even in there?" Maze ran after them, grabbing both of their arms and pulling them back. "What's saying they're not outside somewhere?"

"Do you see them anywhere, Mazikeen?" Before her reflexes could stop him, Lucifer had grabbed her blade and gouged his thumb, growling to himself as the blood trickled down his wrist as he held it up for the Demon to see, rage burning in his eyes. "Need any more proof?"

Dan snarled, breaking free from his girlfriend's grip and started kicking at the door, "Not the time for your theatrics, pal."

"For once I agree with you, Daniel," he shoved the man out of the way and kicked in the door himself, scurrying inside and wedging it shut behind him, instantly overcome by the screeching alarms and the smoke filling his lungs. "See what's taking the bloody fire department so long!" He called, ignoring their protests when even Maze couldn't get the door to budge.

Lucifer tried pulling his shirt up over his nose, but neither that nor his millennia in Hell did him any good now. Not with his wife being so close. And alive. For him to be vulnerable, she had to still be alive, right?

He scanned the bottom floor for any signs of life, his eyes burning as his heart pounded out of his chest. This wasn't happening. This _couldn't_ be happening. "My Chloe does _not_ deserve Hell!" he roared, running up the stairs, flames already thick on the carpet.

Inside the bathroom Chloe was frantically digging through the linen closet as Trixie hugged her knees to her chest in the bathtub, muttering to herself with her eyes closed and nervously fiddling with her necklace. Smoke was seeping in through the vents and the temperature had gone up considerably, but Chloe worked quickly and quietly to find what she needed. She tested the sink, relieved to find it was somehow still worked and wet two small towels, tossing one to her daughter. "Breathe into this, Monkey. We're gonna be fine."

She looked up to the mirror and saw the tears on her cheeks, red from the heat, her eyes already puffy from the smoke. She was trying so hard to be strong for the both of them, but it just wasn't working. She felt unbearably guilty that she hadn't just gone after the guy in the first place. Taking a deep breath through the towel, she grabbed her gun, looked herself dead in the eye and braced herself. "When I tell you to run, you get outside as fast as you can, okay?" Trixie nodded, climbing out of the tub. "Stay behind me." Chloe carefully reached out for the door knob, testing it with the back of her hand.

It was warm, but not unbearably hot. She shut the safety off and quietly opened the door. Her heart squeezed as she saw flames already on the bedroom walls, but the silhouette of the same big, burly man that had broken into her home was now in the doorway with a can of lighter fluid and an open Zippo lighter in his hands.

She aimed at him, ready to fire, but he just snarled and shook his head with a menacing laugh, "I go down and you go up in flames even faster."

She started coughing as the smoke filled her lungs, but kept her gun locked on him. "I know about Angela and Henry. I know you were here fighting the wildfires with your ladder company when they died in the fire back home." Her voice was raspy and shook with nerves, but she still managed to make herself heard through her coughing. "It wasn't your fault, Peter. Lightning hit the breaker box and it was an old house. It was an act of God. No one's fault."

"That's where you're wrong, Mrs. Morningstar," he sneered. "It was _her_ fault. See, that _God_ you speak of doesn't much like when women get the notion that they can enjoy the pleasures of the flesh before they're married. He didn't make them for _that_."

Chloe rolled her eyes, her gun steady, "He doesn't give a shit about that, Johnson. He wasn't punishing your wife because you guys got married when she was pregnant. Is...is _that_ why you're doing this?!" Her brow furrowed as she coughed, "You're punishing young moms that...that what? Weren't virgins when they got married because you think that's why Angela died? You're finding something to blame and taking it out on everyone else?"

His lips curled, tipping the lighter fluid to slowly spill out onto the carpet, not two feet from what was already burning in the hall. Chloe fired at the lighter, hitting it right out of his hand with a metallic _zing_ , but he just kept pouring. It was hopeless. With or without his lighter it would still burn. And fast.

She aimed right between his eyes and pulled the trigger. Nothing. Her gun had jammed and her actions did nothing but piss him off. He pulled another Zippo from his pocket, throwing the lighter fluid onto the bed.

Chloe pushed Trixie back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her as she tried to catch her breath in the wet towel. She fumbled with her gun, but nothing broke the jammed bullet free. Abandoning it on the counter, she grabbed her daughter's shoulders. "Trixie I'm so sorry. We're gonna get you out of here, but...but it might hurt a little, okay? But you'll be okay. You'll be alive, alright?" the tears were flowing freely at this point from both of them. She held her hand as she grabbed the top off the toilet and dragged her over to the window. "Turn around," she ordered before swinging it like a baseball bat at the glass.

"We're not jumping out, Mom! That's a long ways down!" Trixie argued, her words muffled through the towel.

"You don't have...much...of a...choice," she swung and swung but the glass wouldn't so much as crack. She dropped the lid and buckled to her knees in defeat, wrapping Trixie in her arms and holding her close as she cried. "I'm sorry baby girl. I'm so so sorry."

Trixie squeezed her tight, "It's okay mommy. I can finally meet Grandpa this way, right?"

Chloe pulled away and kissed her forehead, a new determination fueling the fire in her eyes, "My dad's just going to have to wait for you."

Lucifer heard the gunshot and quickly followed the sound up, ducking the falling debris. The smoke and flames only got thicker the farther up he went, but he tried everything he could to stay quiet as his lungs burned. His entire body felt like it was on fire, but he had to get to her. He had to save his Detective. His Brat. His family. He finally made it to the bottom of the stairs that led up to their bedrooms when he saw Johnson's outline in the doorway to the master suite.

And heard her voice. His precious Chloe's voice. Relieved tears filled his eyes as he snuck up the stairs. "My _daughter_ is in here, Johnson! You're going to let an innocent little girl die because of her mother's decisions?"

"Like mother like daughter," Lucifer heard him say. "Besides, she's already accepted the Devil into her life. That's right, Mrs. _Morningstar_. We know exactly what your husband is. Did you really think we weren't going to punish the worst offender and kill off whatever evil spawn it is you're carrying?" He could feel his ears growing even hotter with rage as he gave up the sneak attack and started charging up the stairs.

But his sprint was cut off by the crashing of a large metal beam from the ceiling, hitting him hard in the side and pinning him to the stairs. He roared with the searing pain in his left side, shoving the beam as hard as he could with his right hand. It wouldn't budge against his full power. The only thing keeping him from passing out from the pain was focusing on his wife's voice, giving him more and more strength with every word.

"You have _no_ idea about my husband, Johnson." He could practically see the adorably angry look on her face as she yelled, the tears on her cheeks visible in his mind. "He is _anything_ but evil. He is warm and loving and would do anything to protect those he loves." He pushed even harder at that, the guilt of not being able to fulfil her words more painful than what was crushing him. It still wouldn't budge. "He treats my daughter like a princess and is just as much a dad to her as her father. He doesn't have to be, but that's the kind of man he is." She had to stop for a quick coughing fit and went right back in. He could swear he heard her fiddling with her gun… "How DARE you call him evil when he is just trying to undo all the shit his father put him through. Did you ever think of that? The former KING OF HELL is already a better dad than GOD?!" she screamed.

There was a gunshot. And a thud. And the beam finally moved, but it rolled, sending a broken off cross section right into Lucifer's chest. But it didn't pierce him. "Chloe?!" He screamed. "Chloe!" Was he suddenly invulnerable because…?

He fought as hard as he could to wriggle out from the beam, but was stuck until Maze came to the rescue, lifting it just enough for him to get out. "I'll take care of him, you go get the girls. Come on! There's not much time." She grabbed his right hand and helped him up, but he stopped for a moment to inspect his chest. His jacket was torn, but his skin wasn't pierced. Shaking himself out of it, he followed Maze and watched as she dragged the bleeding Peter Johnson roughly down the stairs, presumably for further torcher.

"Chloe?!" Lucifer called, ducking the flames and pushing open the bathroom door, now complete with a bullet hole. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw his wife on the floor, gun in her right hand, her other arm around Trixie. Her eyes grew momentarily wide before she broke out into a huge cheek splitting grin.

"Lucifer!" She stood up with help from her daughter, grabbed his cheeks, and planted the most grateful kiss on his lips. "I've never been happier to see this face," she chuckled, nodding to the mirror.

His Devil face was out again when he glanced. He'd worry about that later, but took the second to change it back before going over to kick out the window. "Come on," he went to hold both arms out for them, but only his right would do anything. He finally looked down at his left side and saw his arm bent three ways, hanging limply at his side.

"Oh Lucifer," Chloe whispered, her lip trembling with sympathy as her heart sank, reaching out to lightly touch his badly wounded arm.

"It's fine, come on," he waved them over just as the floor shifted and a new powerful ploom of black smoke came rushing in through the bullet hole in the door.

Chloe shook her head, pushing a coughing Trixie toward him. "You can't take us both, babe. Take her first and come back for me."

Lucifer set his jaw defiantly, "Chloe."

"I'm not asking, Lucifer. She's my _daughter_. Don't argue. You're just wasting time."

"Mom, you go first. I'll be fine!"

She finally pushed the little girl into his good arm and gave them both a kiss on the cheek, "I love you both...so much…go."

Lucifer nodded ever so slightly, shaking his wings out and giving his wife a sad smile. "I'll be right back, Love."

Chloe just nodded as she watched her husband fly off with her little girl to safety. She waited by the window for the extra oxygen, but turned around in time to see the wall separating the bathroom and bedroom give way to the flames. Her heart in her throat, she reached down to caress where the baby was kicking extra hard, _Can you hear me like this sweetie?_ she asked, not letting herself waste what little air she had left by talking. _I hope you don't think I picked your sister over you. I had to make a split second decision and I'm sorry. I'm so...so sorry. I love you so much, baby. More than you'll ever understand. And...I don't think I'll ever get to explain it to you. But, if I don't get to be in the Silver City with you...I...I mean I_ did _marry the Devil afterall. Just...watch over your daddy and sister for me, okay?_ "I love you," she cried out loud.

As the floor shifted farther down and the tiles grew unbearably hot on her bare feet, she closed her eyes, heard her hands sizzle on the towel rack she grabbed onto for dear life, and screamed as the floor gave way.

Lucifer had just put Trixie in Dan's arms, completely unphased that his temporary partner was now gaping at his wings, when he heard the deafening crash behind him as the main floor of the Hills Estate caved in on itself, the rest of the house crumbling on top.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed, his world falling apart in front of him.


	11. City of Angels

_You guys are absolutely awesome. I am so sorry that I start every single chapter with a note fawning over my readers, but if it wasn't for you, I NEVER would have made it this far. So thank you. :) Now, I know you're dying to know what happens with our beloved Detective, so without further ado…._

 _PS: Your threats were all so kind. LOL 3_

Chapter 11

She could feel the palms of her hands melting into the searing hot towel rack, but as forceful as the desire was to let go, she couldn't bring herself to do it. As the floor gave way to the flames below, Chloe conjured every last ounce of strength she had left to feel for something to perch on to buy time.

It couldn't end like this.

Her foot finally found a jagged piece of hot metal floor brace, but the wall she was clinging to popped and cracked, sparks flying as the flames swallowed the last remaining shelf of her beloved spa of a bathroom. Her left hand was the first to slip off the bar, and while her right hung on by her fingertips, she finally let herself open her eyes and face the end she was about to meet.

Everything she could see was on fire. It stung her eyes, but she couldn't look away, the tears rolling down her cheeks evaporating as soon as they hit her skin. She couldn't help the sob that roared up her throat as she thought of her beautiful little girl, her loving husband, and the little life inside her that was doing it's best to make sure she knew she wasn't alone. _I'm trying, sweety_ , she thought, a sense of guilt heavier than she'd ever felt before washing over her hotter than the flames licking at her feet.

No. It was _not_ going to end like this, dammit.

Chloe kicked at the small piece of metal, grunting with exertion to reach up for the rod, but it was too late. The wall she so precariously clung to was crumbling toward her as she secured her grip. It was over. Her fight for survival was done. Just like that. She closed her eyes as her feet slipped from her perch and listened as her home started to crash to the ground around her.

But something changed.

The pops and whooshes of the fire and burning debris grew muffled. The still blaring fire alarms slowed their cadence and the distant sirens sounded like they were under water. She braced herself for the moment of painful impact when she knew she was going to hit a pile of mangled metal below. Chloe gripped onto the rack even tighter, as if she could win her life back in a game of Tug of War with the Grim Reaper. Opening her eyes again to desperately find her perch, she gasped at what she witnessed around her.

The silver ring that once held the hand towel had fallen off of the wall, but was suspended in the air beside her. It was obviously some strange trick of a dying brain, cut off from clean oxygen for so long, or cooking from the heat of the fire. With nothing to lose, she absentmindedly let go with her left hand and poked at it, watching as it moved slowly to the side, as if it was no longer affected by gravity.

She was about to try it again when she felt a powerful rush of air and a huge, muscular set of arms relieved the strain and burning of her right hand. They cradled her behind her shoulder blades and knees as the heat dissipated and the air grew clear and cool. "You looked like you could use some help," the angel grinned down at his passenger.

"Amenadiel!" Chloe cried, blinking in disbelief.

When they were far enough away from the flames, he turned around and paused, cringing as he shook his head. Chloe was panting, adrenaline fading into exhaustion as she took in the bizarre sight of her house, now a pile of rubble, burning in slow motion. The only piece even remotely standing was the section of wall she had held on to, but even that was in the process of falling. "What's...what's happening?" she asked her brother-in-law, rubbing her still burning eyes.

"Um…" he stuttered awkwardly. "Everything Lucifer told you is the truth, Chloe. He really _is_ the Devil and I'm-"

"We're way past that," she held up her hand and coughed, "I meant…everything's so…slow…?"

"You know everything?" He raised an eyebrow as realization dawned on him. "Wait, why isn't this affecting you? Oh!" His eyes grew wide as he started toward the ground for a landing, actually looking at the woman in his arms. When they were safely on the lawn, he readjusted her, but didn't put her down as he jogged toward the front of the house.

Chloe was still trying to catch her breath as she rested her head on Amenadiel's firm shoulder. She would have passed out to the motion and the muffled noises of her slowed surroundings had it not been for the screaming.

She perked back up at Lucifer's voice, realizing with a squeeze to her heart that he sounded like he was in agony. "LET ME GO MAZIKEEN! I CAN SAVE HER! I CAN SAVE HER!"

"Lucifer! It's too late!" The demon's voice broke, "She's gone, Lucifer!"

"Lucif-" Chloe tried desperately to scream back to him, but spiraled into a coughing fit. Amenadiel sped up his pace as everything went back to normal speed, the sirens blaring again the closer they came.

"Where's Chloe?!" she heard a car door slam and Ella's shrill, panicked voice as they rounded the front of the massive burning pile. The lab tech already had tears running down her cheeks, glowing in the light of the flames as she ran up to a very helpless looking Dan, squeezing a sobbing Trixie for dear life. He shook his head and reached out to the woman's arm before she fell to her knees on the street, hugging herself as she wept.

The sight of her husband made her feel as though time was moving slower than before. His singed wings drooped in defeat and Maze was holding him back by his good arm with everything the demon could summon in herself. He was snarling and sobbing at the fire, his human face contorted into a pain that ran deeper than his mangled arm. She could hear Maze begging him to retract his wings as the sirens came closer, and watched as they slowly disappeared, along with every last shred of hope in his body.

He turned to Johnson, unconscious and bleeding in the street, clenching his fists and raising his foot above the man's skull. Still unable to speak without coughing up the smoke, Chloe anxiously poked at her savior motioning for him to say something. Anything to let them know she was okay.

"LUCIFER!" Amenadiel bellowed from the shadows.

"Lucifer?" Maze turned around, scanning the yard for the source of the familiar voice, loosening her grip on the man's arm, Dan, Trixie, and Ella all looking in the same direction.

The angel finally came into view, the light of the flames dancing on his dark skin as he carried his fair, soot covered friend to her relieved family. "Brother," Lucifer managed to croak, breathless as he retracted his foot and took in the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen since the dawn of time.

"MOMMY!" Trixie wriggled out of Dan's grip, sprinting toward them as Amenadiel carefully set Chloe down, grinning from ear to ear as he nodded to his little brother, turning his attention to watch the reunion of mother and daughter.

"Oh Trixie," the blond cried as her daughter wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. She kissed the top of her head over and over, hugging her around her shoulders as best she possibly could. "I'm so happy you're okay, Monkey. I love you. I love you so much."

"Chloe," Lucifer swayed unsteadily beside her, his voice barely above a whisper as tears poured down his cheeks. Trixie gave her mom one last quick kiss before letting go and jumping into Amenadiel's open arms as the Devil himself fell to his knees at his wife's feet.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe," he wrapped his good arm around her back and cried into her belly. "I couldn't save you. I wasted too much time. I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Chloe…"

Maze, Dan, and Ella all watched the heartbreaking scene, relieved tears in their eyes as Chloe ran her burned fingers through Lucifer's hair. "I'm okay. We're both okay. Shh," her voice was thick with emotion and raspy from the strain as she ended up on her knees as well. Lucifer tangled his hand in her sooty hair, and kissed her gratefully as she grabbed both of his cheeks. "You saved my baby, Lucifer. You did good."

"But what about _ours_?" he sighed in defeat, lowering his hand to rest on the side of her bump. "What kind of father-"

"She's okay too," she cut him off, reaching down to cover his hand with hers as the firetrucks pulled into place, much too late. An ambulance and several cop cars swarmed behind them, lights flashing, in a blur of activity and orders. She rested her forehead to his and gently kissed his nose, tears welling in her sore eyes again. "You did _good_ , Lucifer. There is _nothing_ wrong with accepting backup." She looked back at Amenadiel and nodded her thanks before releasing every emotion she was feeling into her husband's shoulder, just letting him hold her tight with his one good arm until the EMTs had to tear her away from him.

Trixie kissed the angel's cheek and hugged him around the neck as he carried her to the ambulance, "I knew you'd come back to help save my mom again."

"I have to admit, you're the last person I expected to hear from that way," he hugged the smoky little girl back. "Trixie? Has your mom gained a little weight since I've been gone?"

She nodded, pulling away as he pushed back the hair that stuck to her tears, a faint glimmer of a smile pulling at her lips. "But don't tell her that. You've missed a LOT, _Uncle_ Amenadiel."

* * *

"I said no!" Lucifer jerked violently away from the ER nurse on her fourth attempt at talking him into help for his arm. "I don't give a damn about treatment, I want to see my wife!" he seethed, just barely keeping his red eyes under wraps. "Do you have ANY idea who you're talking to?!"

"Lucifer," Linda jumped up from her spot by Amenadiel and Ella, mouthing an apology as she put a gentle but firm hand on her patient's shoulder, dragging him back from where he towered menacingly over the small, timid brunette. She sighed, "Do you have _any_ information? Chloe Morningstar? Possible smoke inhalation...or...or burns? Super pregnant?"

She shook her head apologetically, keeping a careful eye on the man in front of her. "I'm sorry, I don't know anything yet. As soon as she's admitted, you'll be able to see her, Mr. Morningstar."

"It's been HOURS!" he screamed, pulling away from Linda. "What the bloody hell is taking so long?"

"I'm sorry, sir…"

"What about my kid? Trixie...I...I mean Beatrice. Espinoza?" Dan stopped pacing long enough to flash his badge, "She's a minor. You gotta let me in."

"Sir, I'm sorry. My hands are tied with the police presence on this one. I haven't received any updates for either of you, but I will let you know as soon as I do." She gave them all an annoyingly chipper though clearly nervous, optimistic smile and stopped at the swinging door for one last try, "I _can_ send someone in to at least do a temporary splint on your arm."

Lucifer started charging at the poor nurse, but Maze stepped in his way, giving the woman a chance to make her escape from the tense room. This time he didn't even try to control his eyes as they burned red at the demon blocking the door, "You of all people do not want to stand in my way right now, Mazikeen."

Her scarred eyebrow raised, jaw set in a threatening scowl, "You are _not_ putting all this on me."

"Oh aren't I? Because I seem to remember entrusting you with finding the bastard in the first place. Had you done your job, we wouldn't be here right now, would we?!" His face grew steadily closer to the woman's as his voice grew louder and louder, but she stood her ground, squinting directly into his dark red eyes until he finally just growled at her, lowering his voice to a terrifying whisper through his teeth, "You dragged _him_ out instead of _Chloe_?"

Her eyes went wide and she slowly licked her teeth to cover up her jaw dropping at his audacity, "I did what your little pet detective would have wanted me to do. He gets it up the ass in prison for the rest of his life and _then_ my friends get to have fun with him in Hell. It's called poetic justice. Besides," she stepped away and crossed her arms, eyeing him up and down, "I had to pull that beam off of you in the first place. Had I not been there for that, you'd all be gone. I thought you had her."

"How _DARE_ -"

"You do _not_ get to blame Maze for this," Dan pushed her out of the way and took her place, puffing himself up and letting the man's blazing red eyes fuel his anger. "What the fuck, man? Who _are_ you? How could you put my family in danger like that?"

"Dan, come on," it was Amenadiel's turn to step in. "He didn't ask for his home to be burned down."

" _Your_ family?" Lucifer hissed, shoving his brother aside but never taking his eyes off the cop. "Your family? I almost lost _my wife_. I almost lost _my child_. I don't know what's going on back there. I don't _know_ if Chloe's actually okay. Or maybe that's why it's taking so long. Maybe I'm missing the birth of my child because she _has_ to deliver and I'm not there for her. This is the result of a durranged failure of a hypocritical cult leader with motives I understand only too well, but this is not _MY_ fault."

Dan shook with anger, his chest heaving, "Why the hell do you think I'd be okay with my _daughter_ living with...with _you_?"

"BECAUSE I SACRIFICED THE LOVE OF MY LIFE TO SAVE HER!"

"So we're just supposed to ignore your wings, is that it? Or your eyes. The fact that you're the fucking _DEVIL_?!"

"It was a _job_ , Daniel," he lowered his voice, but it still shook. "My dear old dad cast me out of Heaven after my rebellion to rule over Hell because he couldn't bear to do the dirty work himself. I didn't have a choice. I never wanted it. I never _wanted_ to be humanity's excuse for all their wrongdoings. Do you have any idea what it's like to be the most hated, _feared_ being in all the universe. All of history?"

He had to pause to swallow the lump forming in his throat and blinked as tears threatened to form, "And then to have a small glimmer of light that makes everything bearable. Finally someone that makes you see you're not the person everyone says you are. Someone that gives you a chance to undo all the deplorable things your father did to you with a child of your own. I am the Devil because it was my _job_. Just like Chloe is the Detective, but that's not all _she_ is, is it? And I, Daniel, am not _just_ the Devil. I'm hopefully still a husband. A step father. I was _trying_ to figure out how to be a dad but clearly I've failed at that, haven't I?"

Amenadiel shook his head, "You haven't _failed_ at anything, Luci."

"Besides, you're the one sleeping with a demon," he hissed, ignoring his brother's interjection, causing the angel's eyes to grow to the size of saucers. Dan looked like he was having a very hard time not swallowing his tongue as his eyes shifted between Lucifer and his girlfriend, her arms crossed as she fumed, careful not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Okay!" Linda pushed herself between the two, "You guys have got to stop. I know emotions are extremely high at the moment and everyone's exhausted and worried, but no matter how he did it Dan, he saved your daughter's _life_. Lucifer, your brother _saved_ Chloe. No one failed at anything. Dan's going through the hardest thing I've ever experienced at a _very_ trying time so he's lashing out and that is _fine_ for later. But right now, everyone has GOT to calm down and focus on what's truly important here."

Lucifer spun away from the man and his friend's hand so fast his arm flopped away from his torso and sent a new shock wave of pain through his entire body. He groaned loudly, doubling over as he held his arm close, Ella rushing over with her belt in hand, scared, tired, stressed tears in her eyes, "Come on, Lucifer. Will you let _me_ help you, at least?"

Clenching his fist and squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the pain to subside, he shook his head, "Miss Lopez, please. Not now." He looked up at his friend, his eyes fading back to their deep chocolate brown as he nodded toward her empty neck, "No bling?" he asked for a distraction.

"No bling. I don't really like what the Big Guy did to my friend," she looked at him a little sheepishly and gave him a sad smile as she rubbed his back. "It all kinda reminds me of when my friend came out of the closet and his dad kicked him out."

Lucifer nodded slowly, but could tell she didn't really want to continue on about it. Instead, he watched her fiddle with her belt, the wheels so obviously turning in her mind for how she was going to set his arm with little else available. "It's fine," he reached out to lower her hands. "If anything, it just lets me know the Detective is near. And hopefully fine."

"Chloe told me about that," she chuckled, eyeing their four other friends currently bickering in the corner, Linda doing her best to mediate. Refocusing on him, the scientist squeezed his good hand, "She's going to be fine. They both are, thanks to Amenadiel. Trixie too because of you. You'll spend oodles of money rebuilding a house _exactly_ to Chloe's specifications and life will go back to normal." She winked, "With the exception of that mini Lucifer or Chloe running around wreaking havoc on L.A."

"Excuse me," the small brunette nurse knocked on the door frame, popping a timid head into the room as all the weary faces turned toward her. "M...Mrs. Morningstar and Miss Espinoza were just admitted into their rooms. I can take one visitor for each."

There was a collective exhale as the bickering stopped, Lucifer and Dan both accepting encouraging pats on the back as they followed the nurse in a tense, emotional, and relieved silence to the elevators.

* * *

Lucifer stood outside Chloe's door trying his hardest to mentally prepare for anything he could be walking into. He took a deep, shaking breath, straining his ears to listen. He half expected to hear a baby cry or a cinematic flat line if his dad's sense of humor continued on the sick path of the last few days. He gripped his dangling arm tightly as his heart pounded in his ears, thinking of how helpless he felt looking out the window to see his wife floating face down in the pool only a few days before.

That was nothing compared to this. His mind had jumped to terrible conclusions that night, but she wasn't in any sort of danger. She was just trying to seek some momentary comfort in a pool that was now undoubtedly littered with the smoldering pieces of what used to be the fourth floor of the Hills Estate. What happened tonight had been churning in the pit of his stomach since the Douche had broken the news of the third victim after their honeymoon. He'd only let the feeling fester instead of taking action. He had done nothing...

He nervously smoothed out his sooty, tattered jacket, working himself up again. He'd been chomping at the bit for hours to see his wife, but turning that doorknob seemed like the difference between the deliriously happy domestic life he'd grown to love so much, and the cruel punishment he kept expecting to unravel at the seams of his joy, all at Chloe's expense. Lucifer swallowed hard, white knuckling the knob, angry with himself for feeling anything but relieved that she was alive. He didn't care if she was covered in burns that he couldn't see where he held her in the dim light of the street. If the doctors had to take limbs or her hair was completely singed away, it didn't matter. She was still his Detective.

He slowly opened the door and was met by a staggering wave of relief. She was asleep and seeing her beautiful face took his breath away, a sad smile pulling at his lips as he took in the whole picture. The nurses had cleaned her up and combed out her dark blonde hair. It formed an all too appropriate halo on her pillow.

Her skin was pink like she had been out in the sun all day, and glowed behind the oxygen tube in her nose. His heart went to his throat when he saw her hands. She had one on her chest, loosley grabbing at the bullet necklace she rarely took off, the other gently cradling her still rounded belly. Her palms were wrapped in gauze, an I.V. tube coming out of her left hand. Her pale blue hospital gown was pulled up around her chest, a light pink monitor just to the side of her belly button, held on by a stretchy white band. He quietly moved a chair over, taking a seat and cautiously reached out to lay his hand above hers, his black ring a stark contrast to her rosey, otherwise flawless skin. Lucifer had to squeeze his eyes shut as he bowed his head, the little foot against his hand causing an even greater rush of guilt-tinged relief to wash over him as his heart skipped a beat.

Chloe reached over to wipe his tears away. "My eyes just hurt. I'm awake."

"Look who's back," he cleared his throat, trapping her hand against his cheek. "How do you feel?"

"How's Trixie?"

"She's perfectly fine. They're keeping her overnight for observation. Dan's with her."

"Then I'm okay," Chloe nodded, caressing her husband's cheek with her thumb.

"You know, if I never have to see you in a hospital bed again, I think it may be too soon."

"They're just second degree burns," she shrugged, looking down at the bandages. "The doctor said they'd be fine in time to hold our son."

He shook his head, unable to speak, the guilt growing stronger as he moved his hand back to her belly, "How is she?"

" _He's_ okay, Lucifer," she smiled, grateful to be able to run her fingers through his hair again. She watched as he struggled with his emotions, finally reaching down to kiss her bump as a couple happy tears rolled down her cheeks. Still playing with his hair, she chuckled. "Lucifer? Did you hear what I said?" He sat back up, a confused smirk on his face as she grinned at him expectantly. She rolled her eyes, reaching over to the table and handed him the gold tinted pictures. "They did one of those 3D ultrasounds to make sure everything was okay. The tech thought I knew already."

"That's…?" he asked breathlessly, looking up from the pictures, his big brown eyes wide and sparkling. "That's our child? Poor thing has my nose."

"Mmhm. Take a good look at the next one," she winked, breaking out into an all out happy sob as her husband's jaw dropped when he awkwardly flipped to the next picture.

"That's a penis!" he laughed in surprise. "Our child has a penis!"

Chloe's hand made it to her forehead out of reflex, "Boys have those, yes."

"My son's first pecker pic," he shook his head in wonder, moving to sit on the side of the bed to kiss her properly, digging the fingers of his good hand into her soft hair, massaging her scalp. "I couldn't be prouder. I have a...a _son_. I love you so much Chloe."

"I love you too," she beamed up at him. "And I'm so proud of you." When his face fell, she reached up to grab his cheeks, "No. Listen to me. You had the worst decision to make and I am so sorry you were put in that situation, but do you even realize how far you've come?"

"...Detective."

"I know you love Trixie like she's your own, but you still did what you _had_ to do, not what you _wanted_ to. You're beating yourself up, but for how worried you are about being a father, you did the most dad thing you ever could."

"But had it not been for Amenadiel…"

"Rule number one of law enforcement and parenthood is never be afraid to call for backup," she gave him a sad smile, it finally dawning on her why he was moving so gingerly. "Especially when you're injured. Why haven't they set that yet?"

"It's fine. It'll heal eventually," he shrugged. "I didn't…"

"Faster if you're away from me?" she asked knowingly, cocking her head to the side and locking eyes with him. "Why don't you go home tonight and...and fix yourself?"

"I think your pregnancy brain is getting the best of you," he snorted. "Home is a bit of a hot mess at the moment. Literally."

Her smile faded, realization truly sinking in that they had lost everything but themselves, "Lux?"

He shook his head, holding her hand on top of her belly, "Do you honestly think I'm ever going to let you or my _son_ out of my sight again, Mrs. Morningstar?"

"I was actually kind of hoping you'd do me a favor," she smirked as his eyebrow rose excitedly. "You know I don't like you bribing people but...what would you have to do to get Trixie moved into that bed over there?"

He started to protest, but the look in her eyes made it impossible for him to say no. "Promise me you won't go anywhere, darling," Lucifer gazed at her, kissing her on the forehead and giving her hand a careful squeeze before heading for the door, his guilt having lifted ever so slightly as he popped back into her room. "Just a heads up, Detective Douche saw my wings and is having a tough time of it. He may be a bit fragile."

She cringed momentarily, knowing her ex's reaction wouldn't be as accepting as Ella's, but chuckled, struggling to sit up a bit more, "I'll be gentle." He flashed her another smile, obviously reluctant to leave the room. Chloe sighed as he left, not knowing exactly what to feel. She was on cloud nine, feeling her little boy kick under the monitor and knowing her husband would stop at nothing to get her daughter next to her. Everyone was more or less fine, with the exception of Lucifer's poor arm, Amenadiel was back, and the case was solved.

But everything was gone. That beautiful big house was nothing more than a massive pile of smoldering rubble, including the adorable nursery for a baby that would be coming in less than a month whether they were ready or not. Lucifer hadn't taken much more than his clothes when they moved to the Hills Estate, but she and Trixie had taken everything they owned and were now left with nothing. She ran a slightly sore finger around her left wrist where her bracelet had been since Christmas, her vision blurring as she realized she'd lost it at some point in the excitement.

She closed her eyes, trying to think of anything else but the horror she felt hanging on the towel rack. She could feel herself starting to hyperventilate and went to extreme measures to get her mind off of it, subconsciously biting her bottom lip and squeezing her legs together as she thought of the first time she'd gripped so hard at that damn bar. Lucifer had just helped her out of the nice warm bubble bath he'd insisted she take after work, and one thing led to another. Before she knew it, he'd accidentally ripped it out of the wall and had 'his guy' reinforce it the next day, _just in case_.

"You can sweep parking tickets under the rug, right Detective?" Lucifer's head popped through the door, the grin on his face pulling her out of her thoughts as he moved to let Dan through, pushing her little girl in a wheelchair three times too big for her.

"There's my girl!" Chloe smiled, wrapping her in her arms again as she carefully got up to sit by her mom, dragging the I.V. pole to the bed with her. "You okay?" she asked, clearly seeing that she'd been crying. Just holding Trixie made her feel guilty for her previously materialistic thoughts. This was the only thing that mattered. She rubbed her back and kissed her head as she snuggled into her chest, looking up to see both Lucifer and Dan's eyes soften at the sight.

Trixie shook her head and started crying again, "I'm going to be a bad sister."

"Why would you say that, Monkey?"

She pushed herself up and looked sheepishly at her step dad, "I left Magagsy behind. She was my practice little sister and she's gone. I'm sorry Lucifer. I know she was expensive."

Lucifer laughed, but was met by a slap to the arm from Dan. It was his bad arm and caused him to scowl at the girl's father, but once he was able to speak again, he shook his head, "Brat, Magagsy was just a doll. Besides, you wanted me to take your mum first. From what I understand, a sacrifice like that somehow means you're actually _ready_ to take care of your little brother." He glanced at his wife, eyebrow raised as if to ask if that was what she'd meant before.

She nodded ever so slightly at him, eyes sparkling, "And he's going to be very lucky to have you," she squeezed her as tightly as she dared, kissing her on the cheek.

"Or she, I know, I know," Trixie rolled her eyes, her tears ceasing as she watched her dad take a seat on the bed across the room, looking a little left out.

"No," Lucifer picked up the proof and handed it to her proudly. "It seems you and I were right, Urchin."

"Lucifer!" Chloe glared at him, but couldn't be too mad watching her daughter hug the man excitedly, forgetting all about the night's events even for just a moment. She wasn't watching what she was doing though and caught his arm in her embrace, causing an almost humorously high pitched, gut wrenching moan. Chloe pulled her back as she desperately started apologizing and reassured her it wasn't her fault. "Lucifer, now. You have _got_ to have the doctors look at that."

"I'm _fine_ , Detective." He hissed through his teeth, "I told you, I'm not leaving you again."

She just looked at him through her eyelashes, "And then what? Never have it set so it heals like that and you can't use it anymore? Can't hold your son or teach him how to play ball?"

Dan snorted derisively, reaching over to hit the call button on Trixie's bed. "I don't see _Lucifer_ here teaching his kid how to play ball, but the nurse did say she could get someone to the waiting room to splint it at least. I'm sure they can come here." He shrugged, his face smug, "Unless he's scared."

"Don't be scared, Lucifer," Trixie wiggled out of her mom's grip and carefully dragged her I.V. over to where she could stand by him. "I'll hold your hand if you want. That's what mom did for me when I broke my wrist when I was little."

It was almost four in the morning by the time Trixie had passed out in her bed, Dan on top of the covers with an arm behind her head. They were both snoring loudly as Lucifer carefully settled in on Chloe's left side, his arm in a sling, set as best they could without surgery. He had to lay on his side to fit, a little awkward with the angle of the bed. When they finally settled into a comfy position, Chloe with her head in the crook of his good arm, his hand poking out of the sling to rest on her belly, he finally found himself able to take a deep breath, convinced everything was going to be just fine.

"Lucifer?"

"Yes love?"

"Something's wet."

His eyes shot open as he sat bolt upright, "You mean?"

"No, I think it's you! You're...lactating?" she laughed, dabbing at the wet patch of his torn jacket.

He poked at it himself, sniffing his fingers, "Tequila? Seems appropriate." He reached into his pocket, eyes growing wide as he pulled out the flask he'd just received from Trixie for his first Father's Day hours before. They both looked at it a little sadly, but Lucifer shook his head in shock, "I'll be damned." He turned it around to show Chloe the oblong hole in the side, right through the words. "I thought the cross section in the beam didn't kill me because you were um…" He couldn't finish the thought and cleared his throat, his other hand gently patting at his wife's bump. "Rule number one, son. No matter what your mum says, always carry a flask."

* * *

Lucifer woke up first, his arm tingling under Chloe's head, his other sore and pinned to his side. The little boy was squirming visibly against his torso as he lay still cuddled up tightly to the Detective's side. He sighed happily, lightly kissing her temple and breathing in the surprisingly sweet smell of the hospital shampoo. The other bed was vacant, but a note on the whiteboard in the girl's handwriting said they'd gone down to the cafeteria for breakfast. Lucifer's phone went off in his pocket, vibrating against his wife's shoulder, waking her up with a surprised smile. "I'm not in the mood right now."

He chuckled, carefully wiggling his arm out from under her and awkwardly digging it out of the pocket on the same side. "It's Amenadiel. Says everyone went home to freshen up this morning now that they know you're well, but they'll be back in a bit." He went to reply with a string of nonsensical emojis, just to mess with him, but another message popped up, "Ah, imagine that. _We need to talk, Luci._ "

Chloe yawned, shifting to lay her head on her husband's chest and patted her belly, "Settle down a little, honey. That hurts," she cooed, but her voice was a bit strained. "Lucifer, if you can draw out people's inner most desires as your um...super power, is Amenadiel's slowing down time?"

He nodded slowly, his chin resting on the top of her head as he rubbed her arm. "...it is."

"Huh…" she shifted again uncomfortably, finally giving up on her sore hip and letting her husband help to sit her up. She crossed her legs on the bed and sat opposite him, careful of her tubes and the monitors. She leaned back, looking at her bump thoughtfully. "Do humans usually notice?"

"No. That was part of the point. He could come down, do Dad's bidding, and return before anyone noticed him. I have to admit, I may have used him a couple times early on in our partnership. Or when Charlotte and I ended up on the beach after my mum was threatening you on the pier. You were none the wiser." He lost himself in her big blue eyes, that inwardly focused look, and a smile playing on her lips. He cocked his head and reached out to lightly touch her leg. "Chloe?"

She shook her head, "I never noticed it before."

"Of course not. You're human."

"I know…but...Ella and Linda and I watched this super cheesy show when you were camping with Trixie where this nurse talked about a study of old women," she looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Evidently, there was a test on the cells around their hearts after they died and the doctors found male cells in the women with sons. Mom and baby...swap cells."

Lucifer opened and closed his mouth a couple times, but words weren't coming easily. "Did...you notice?"

"Everything was frozen and muffled. I thought my brain was cooking or something, but all of a sudden, here comes Amenadiel and the next thing I know I'm watching our home burn in slow motion." She had to pause, her mouth suddenly becoming very dry as a tear rolled down her cheek, "Do you suppose that's proof?"

"That the poor kid's got more of me than just his big nose?" He smiled, blinking back the tears in his own eyes and inwardly scolding himself for his overworked, less than Devilish tear ducts. Leaning forward, he covered his wife's hand, her ring pressing comfortably into his palm as he ran a thumb over her wrist, "I wonder if anyone's written a book on raising the angelic."

" _What to Expect_ doesn't have a chapter on cherubs?" Chloe grinned, shaking her head in awe.

"'Fraid not," he laughed, gently pulling her back toward him, bringing her in for a kiss. "Chloe Morningstar: Mother of Angels."

"Just the one is fine," she smiled against his lips, moving to straddle his lap until there was a knock on the door.

Ella bopped through, pushing the curtain aside and sporting one of her obnoxiously happy, contagious smiles, her eyes growing wide behind her clear plastic glasses as she froze. "I did it again, didn't I?" she asked, her cheeks growing red as she watched her friend settle back on the pillows. "Sorry."

"I thought you'd gone home."

"You look exhausted, hun." Chloe went full mom mode, seeing the dark circles under her midwife's eyes, her usually tidy ponytail loose and frayed.

"I'm fine!" the lab tech squealed, raising the biggest Starbucks cup either of the people in the bed had ever seen. "Quadruple shot sea salt caramel soy macchiato for da win, my dudes!" She pulled a small stack of files from behind her back and sat them on the rolling bed table, pausing momentarily to study the pierced flask. She shrugged, her movements jerky and quick, pushing the table over for the two to see the contents.

Lucifer resisted, pushing the table back toward her, "The detective doesn't need _work_ right now, Miss Lopez."

"I know my homegirl, Lucifer. She wants answers, right Mama Decker? Sorry, Mama Morningstar is too cumbersome."

"Tell me about it," Chloe huffed, still trying to find a comfortable position. "You have answers?"

"Ella!" The door opened again and she was tackled with a huge hug from a very similarly dressed eleven year old.

"Sup, lady!" She beamed happily at the little girl, bending over to hug her tightly, smiling at her dad behind her. "How's he holding up?"

Trixie raised her black eyebrow, "I'm talking him down, don't worry."

Ella pulled back and lightly punched Dan in the shoulder, "It's weird right? He told us all along, but heaven forbid we listen, you know? Well maybe not _heaven_ forbid...or maybe that's more accurate than-"

"Ella," Dan put a hand up, stopping her before she could ramble on for too long. "Did I hear something about answers?"

"Sorry, yep!" She turned back to the table, but looked at Trixie and back to her mom, taking a sip of her half gone coffee. "Should we send her to the vending machine or…?"

"I think she's lived through the worst of it," Lucifer pointed out, motioning to the files. "Miss Lopez?"

"Right. So last night, right before my dad called for our little Father's Day Skype dinner, I found the article in the _Tinsel Tribue_ about our guy. Have you seen their Tweets, by the way? Friggin hilarious."

"Hysterical," Lucifer grumbled.

"Anyway, I called in a favor to a buddy up north and he sent me the final tox reports on Johnson's wife and son." She opened the file to rather graphic pictures of the bodies and what remained of the house, crossing herself out of habit. Trixie leaned in to try to get a peak, but her dad pulled her back, Chloe and Lucifer both looking like they were going to be ill. "They didn't die of smoke inhalation either. The house went up so fast that they literally burned alive. And Angela was six months pregnant with their second child at the time," she added carefully, taking another sip and flipping the page to a printed copy of the news article.

Chloe went pale, anxiously tapping her fingers on the table, "He didn't confirm anything, but I um...I asked him about it last night. I think he was looking for something to blame since he wasn't there to save his family and stuck with the notion that God was punishing his wife. It's probably what spurred the idea for the cult...the...the rosaries in the women's mouths...the...burning. He didn't want anyone else to live out the life that was taken from him."

"And another raging lunatic uses Dad as an excuse to go on a senseless murdering spree. How lovely."

"But why drag the bodies across town? Why the jewellry?" Dan asked, folding his arms.

"Trixie saw it first," the Detective gave her a sad smile. "The pentagram was a message," she swallowed hard, turning to her husband. "He seemed to really...know about you."

"I've never hidden who I am, Chloe. It's not that easy to keep it all a secret, so it's better to just let everyone believe I'm an eccentric method actor, apparently." He looked up at Ella, finishing off her drink, smirking back at him. "Sane people have to actually _see_ my Devil face, or my wings, to understand my true identity. With one very short exception."

He stuck his tongue out at Trixie, but she just giggled, looking up at her dad, pulling at his hand, "Hey, I think that's a compliment for you, Dad."

Her father huffed, squinting angrily as he looked through the papers, "So this little group killed five women and tried to kill my daughter and the mother of my child to what? Show the world that this guy is the _actual_ Devil?"

"Do _not_ pin this on him, Dan." Chloe snarled through her teeth, "I am _sick_ and _tired_ of people blaming my _husband_ for all the crap in this world and I am _not_ going to listen to it coming from you now too."

"Shh, it's fine Sweetheart," Lucifer put his arm around her shoulders, noticing her face growing even redder than it had been from the first degree burns that covered most of her body. "It's nothing I'm not used to. And he does have a point..."

"It's not _fine_ , Lucifer. This is not your fault. I don't know what they seemed to think was so wrong with our sweet little boy that they orchestrated this whole heinous thing, but I am _not_ going to sit around and listen to Espinoza throw you under the bus now too."

"So uh...about the jewellry…" Ella cut in feeling more than a little awkward. She had been making faces at Trixie in an attempt to distract herself and the girl both. Lucifer and Dan glared at each other for a moment before they all turned their attention back to her. "What _about_ the jewellry, Ella?" she asked herself, flipping the pages in the file. "Well it seems Carl Grady, Johnson's first follower to get caught, worked for the same North Hollywood merchant patrol that covered _Sparkle_ , that little jeweler that designed all but Estelle and Chloe's mother's jewelry," she focused on her best friend, the men too intense for her to deal with in her currently over caffeinated state.

"Fitz ordered a search warrant and we found this on their security footage," she pointed to a rather grainy black and white picture of someone rummaging through a file cabinet. "Evidently the guy that owns the shop is like a thousand years old and even though the serial numbers are registered, he still keeps paper files for payments and repairs and all that. Grady's card was the one swiped to gain access into the building a week before our first victim was found, and I did some digging on these particular files in this cabinet. Four of them in the right um...geographical areas...were paid for by men, and one woman, with different last names than the moms they were registered to. Our victims. I know my opinion on this is just speculation at this point, but I think it was an easy way to find targets. Roy Gayle, the second perp to be brought in, had a Google alert set up for obituaries in the same areas that included words like pregnant, boyfriend, girlfriend, expecting, and so on and so forth. Yours and Estelle's bling was just...coincidental as far as I can tell."

"Jesus," Dan took a shaky breath, pounding his fist on the table before he started pacing around the room again.

" _That_ is evil," Chloe choked back a guilty sob, glaring at her ex as she took a breath to push down the bile she could feel rising in her throat. "Lucifer's only ever _punished_ evil."

"It's not your fault either," the Devil's heart squeezed in his chest as he watched his wife go through the same unbearable guilt and self hatred he'd learned to live with centuries ago. He ran his fingernails lightly up and down her arm and kissed her shoulder as his temporary partner stormed out the door, leaving Trixie and Ella to throw wide, nervous eyes at each other, not sure what to do.

In the next hour, a nurse had come in to change the dressing on Chloe's hands and take her vitals, followed closely by the doctor to give Trixie a clean bill of health. Her mother gratefully signed the discharge papers for her, but without her dad around and an overly protective Lucifer still unwilling to go farther than the flower shop downstairs, it was Ella that offered to take her out for a day of much needed fun. After a very long, drawn out goodbye from an understandably paranoid Chloe, the scientist held out her arm for Trixie to loop hers through and winked to her on the way out the door. "What's first, ma'am? Knocking over a liquor store or robbing a bank?"

The little girl laughed, winking back, "How about axe throwing at the bar down the street? I really want to impress Maze at my next lesson."

"You guys are SO funny," her mom rolled her eyes, grinning. Lucifer got up from where he'd settled in the chair by the bed, digging in the pocket of the jacket, thrown over the side and motioning to her that he'd be right back. She raised an eyebrow, "I don't think they were serious, Lucifer…"

"Miss Lopez!" he called, jogging down the busy hall to catch them, handing the woman his credit card as Trixie walked ahead. "I hate to put this burden on you, but take her shopping for me, would you? Clothes...a new Magagsy if she desires...replace her guitar. Whatever she wants. For the Detective as well. You know her sizes...style. Please?"

Ella nodded, plucking the card out of his fingers and wrapped her arms around him, careful to put all the pressure on his good side. "You're so cute, Lucifer. We'll try not to max it out."

"I would be most impressed," he chuckled, watching her meet up with Trixie who had stopped to say goodbye to the nurses she'd charmed overnight. He was about to turn back for his wife's room when a familiar face rounded the corner, stopping for a quick hug from them both.

"Luci," Amenadiel nodded as his face returned to his usual serious brooding on his walk over.

"Yes, I know," Lucifer perfectly imitated his deep voice, "'Your request to the underworld has been requested.' Not gonna happen, Brother. Ever."

He laughed, "Not what I was going to say, no. That's all been squared away. You're welcome."

That caught him by surprise, but swallowing back the guilt and anger he felt in himself, churning in the pit of his stomach, he returned the nod, trying his hardest to not let the eternally indebted feelings he now felt for him show through. No one needed _that_ added onto his angelic ego, afterall. "You didn't run back to the Silver City after playing hero for the night?" he smirked, holding out his hand.

Amenadiel just grinned, forgoing his hand and wrapped his little brother in a giant bear hug, the recipient less than willing to reciprocate. He stepped back, eyeing the disheveled former King of Hell, "Linda was going to stop at the penthouse after her appointments this morning to see if you guys had left any clothes behind. In the meantime…" he pursed his lips, eyeing the dark ring on the man's left hand. "Lucifer Morningstar _really_ did get married."

"Oh, so you got my messages after all, did you? Funny, I never heard back," he growled. "For months."

"You know as well as I do that time moves differently in Heaven. I lost track and I apologize. But you have to admit, it _did_ sound like a prank prayer. The Devil doesn't just get married, even if it _is_ to Chloe Decker." He laughed, a knowing smile spreading across his handsome face, "At least for real. You and Chloe finally worked things out, huh?"

"Yes, me and Chloe. And before you get all high and mighty about the divine intermingling with humans, might I remind you I can tell when you've been laid, Brother. And last I heard, Maze gave up possession of you to Linda. A human." He went to grab the doorknob, but turned back, "I thank you, I do, and though it pains me to admit, I owe you, but if you don't mind, I thought for a time that my _wife_ had died last night and I'd really like to get back to her."

"And I'd like to see my sister-in-law, if you don't mind," he stuffed his hands in his pockets, taking a step to follow his reluctant brother into the room. He was greeted by the Detective's radiant smile and open arms that he very happily filled, kissing her cheek, "How are you doing, Chloe?"

"I'm okay, thanks to you," she squeezed his giant bicep as he pulled away, glancing over at her husband to make sure he wasn't too on edge. "Thanks for having our backs, Amenadiel. I always wanted a brother I could count on."

"Actually," he shrugged, "it's Trixie you should be thanking. She's the one that called me just in time."

Lucifer perked up, eyes wide, "She what? You too?"

"Huh?" Chloe cocked her head at the two of them, attempting to fluff her pillows. "You have cell service...up…there? She said she didn't have her phone…"

"No," Amenadiel smiled, trying not to laugh at her innocence on the subject. "Whether she meant to or not, she was uh...praying."

"Oh!" she nodded, slowly, remembering the heartbreaking scene of her little girl fiddling with her necklace in the bathtub, crying. "Wait, she was praying to you too?"

Lucifer nodded, "On our drive home from Sherman Oaks. She must have walked in on me trying to get a hold of Mr. Diva here at some point and picked up on it. Thankfully he didn't think _that_ was a prank as well."

Chloe looked a little confused, but a sudden jab to the lungs made her yelp and both men were suddenly right by her side. She rolled her eyes at their worried faces, but a smile played at her lips at just how adorable their concern was. "I don't think I've formally introduced you to your nephew yet."

After the expectant parents answered every one of Amenadiel's questions on the Earthly happenings since Charlotte's murder, the case that left Chloe hanging for dear life on a towel rack, and the fast approaching due date of what he could only guess was another test from his father, the newly reinstated angel finally sat back in his chair and started answering their list of questions.

He and Lucifer were almost in tears, laughing at his story of Michael and Gabriel getting into a fight over a planetary poker game that led to the loss of three far away galaxies and their father's latest project. Amenadiel had channeled his inner Lucifer, stacked the deck, and made a deal with Azrael to escalate the situation enough for dear old dad to banish the two of them down to Hell to take over their brother's vacant position. As it turned out, they were actually doing a pretty good job of it and, since humanity didn't know about the staffing change, weren't too concerned about the psychological ramifications.

Not having much she could add to the conversation, Chloe happily just watched, rubbing her belly and wondering what her angel would be like when he was older. When they settled down, she couldn't resist any longer. "Did you happen to uh...did you run into my dad at all? John Decker?"

"He's part of why I was gone for so long, actually," Amenadiel's eyes grew soft as he reached out to take her hand, careful not to mess up the gauze. "I was only planning on staying for the night to get Charlotte settled, but he's quite magnetic." He chuckled, squeezing her hand as tears already fell to her cheeks, "He started the Paddock 2. It's one of the most famous cop bars in the Silver City. They specialize in those egg sandwiches Lucifer wouldn't stop gushing about way back when. He's happy, Chloe. He took quite the shining to Charlotte and by the time I left, she had already moved into his apartment above the bar. He wanted me to tell you that he's very _very_ proud of his little girl and that Trixie is so much like you were at that age that it's like watching his memories when he sees the two of you bickering."

Chloe started crying so hard that her shoulders shook, but she was smiling and found herself staring up at the ceiling as if she would be able to see her dad herself. Lucifer retook his spot on the bed, and held her close as she cried into his chest, her smile disappearing as the guilt of what happened to all those moms came swarming back to the pit of her stomach.

Amenadiel gently kissed her hand like the protective big brother he was, and motioned to Lucifer that he would wait for Linda in the hall. He turned around at the door, smiling proudly as he took in the heartbreakingly beautiful scene before him. Even though they were hurting and exhausted, in all of eternity, he had never seen his brother take on a roll more passionately than he did as Chloe's partner and protector. That annoying little test of a rebel had really grown up in his absence.

* * *

Lucifer poured himself another bourbon as he paced around the penthouse that evening, removing the white sheets from the furniture and moving the pile of deliveries from Trixie and Ella's shopping spree to the appropriate rooms. He had been banished overnight from the hospital by both his wife and therapist in order to freshen up, change into a less ragged suit, get some sleep, and hopefully speed up his healing process. He'd been the one to ask Linda to look in on Chloe and her obvious survivors guilt, but had he known that would lead to their momentary geographic separation, he would have kept quiet and let her visit in a less professional capacity. There wasn't enough top shelf whiskey in his entire inventory to fill the hole he felt by not having eyes on her. Not anymore.

The golden light of the setting sun glowed throughout the living room as the curtains billowed in the warm breeze. He sighed, sitting down at the piano once everything was moved, freshly showered and donned in the _Grinch_ pajamas he'd left behind. His arm was still mangled, but as much as he hated to admit, it did feel better being away from the Detective. He could feel it tingling as it started to heal, but it wasn't much use and the only thing he could think to play with one hand was _Let it Be_.

Halfway through the melody, the elevator dinged and Trixie's smiling face appeared mere moments before he was greeted with a careful hug around the neck. "Hi Lucifer! Is our stuff here yet?"

Taken aback, but relieved for the noise, he tried to look displeased at her kiss on his cheek, "Everything's in your room, Brat."

"Awesome!" she squealed, handing him his credit card and disappearing down the stairs to her hallway as a rather grimy Daniel Espinoza cleared his throat by the elevator.

Lucifer looked at him through his dark lashes, downing the generous shot that still remained in his glass. "I'd ask you to take off your shoes, Daniel, but I don't think that would much help."

Dan took a deep breath, clearly steadying himself before walking over to lean on the piano, ignoring the owner's squint of disapproval where he left sooty smudges on the polished black surface. "We gotta talk."

"Seems like that's all everyone wants to do today."

"Look, I've had time to think and what I said was wrong and pretty unfair, but...this is a lot to process, Lucifer. And...I shouldn't have treated you like I did. I just wanted to man up and apologize. And say thank you. I know you could have lost everything by saving Trixie's life, but...I'm sure as Hell glad you did. Or uh...just...just thank you."

Lucifer concentrated on the glass in his hand, spinning it pensively, "I'm supposed to believe you can accept my...how did you phrase that?...wings...eyes...the fact that I'm the 'fucking Devil', all because I saved your child's life? Just like that you're not _blaming_ me anymore?" he huffed with a smug roll of the eyes.

"Once your son is born, you're gonna find out that not a whole lot else matters." He cautiously patted his back even though Lucifer flinched away as he'd expected, "Congrats, by the way. But hey, I'm already too involved in my ex wife's new marriage and...it's a little weird, I'll admit. I don't need to know _everything_. I can…I can look past this if I know you won't do anything to put those girls in harm's way, okay? You _did_ save my kid's life, man and for whatever reason before that, she thinks the world of you, so…I'll uh...I'll let it go. For now. Just...please don't give me any reason to regret it."

Looking up to see the man's outstretched hand, he cringed at the filth, but shook it anyway, standing up to refill his drink and pouring another for his temporary partner. He chuckled, really taking in the man's appearance, "Now Bert, if you're looking for Mary, she just grabbed her umbrella and flew off the balcony."

Dan looked thoroughly confused, but the sudden realization made him bust out laughing, "The Devil knows Mary Poppins. Did not see that coming."

"As you've pointed out, I do live with an eleven year old most of the time. But seriously, why are you ashing all over my penthouse?"

"Right, I uh…" he took a sip of the whiskey, spluttering at the unexpected strength, and grabbed the blackened cloth bag he'd dropped at the end of the bar. "I ended up at the Hills Estate after I stormed out this morning to help with the investigation. There's not much left. At all. Like it's just rusted out metal stairs and a couple slabs of concrete, but the firemen found a couple things you might want." He reached into the bag and dug out a few odds and ends, laying the sooty pieces on the bar. None of it was worth much in either monetary or sentimental value until he pulled out a black chain, complete with the small jewel encrusted anchor and the two birthstones on either side. "A rookie found it in what used to be the basement. I can't believe it held up. Looks like it just needs cleaned."

"Well, as I've said before, I'm _not_ cheap." Lucifer's mouth pulled into a half smile as he stared at his wife's other favorite piece of jewelry, the gears turning in his mind of what else he could do with it before returning it to it's beautiful owner.

"Now look uh...this is kinda hard and I'm man enough to admit, I might have cried a little, but um...the Corvette…"

"She didn't make it, did she?"

Dan lowered his head, squeezing the man's shoulder in sympathy. "Trust me, you don't want to see her. Just...remember her fondly as that beautiful classic that always made me hate you just a little bit more." He dug in the bag one last time, pausing for an annoyingly dramatic effect. Clearly he was back in Improv. "Against orders from the chief...I dug through some rubble and was able to save this."

Lucifer was handed the singed and faded black and yellow license plate with about as much ceremony as a widow receiving her husband's flag. He gave his friend a sad smile and nodded, "I appreciate it. Thank you."

"Yeah," he nodded a little awkwardly. "I'm gonna head back to the precinct before I go home tonight. Make sure no one else is connected to all this, ya know? Trixie just wanted to make sure you weren't alone tonight. If that's okay?"

"You're fine with her being home alone with the Devil?"

"I have a feeling she's in good hands...wings...wow."

Lucifer just laughed at how flustered he was, pocketing the bracelet and running his fingers along the edges of the dirty piece of metal in his hands. "Thanks again for this, Daniel."

"Anytime," he nodded, stepping onto the elevator. Lucifer went to turn around, but Dan stopped him. "Hey about Maze...she's really broken up about all this. I've never seen her feeling so guilty. She loves that little girl like you wouldn't believe and said something about finally finding someone that would always put her first? She just did what she thought she had to do, getting Johnson out of there. You know she would have saved Chloe _and_ Trixie if she knew you needed help. Just uh...try to forgive her, okay?"

"Uh huh."

"I mean, how do you think _I_ feel? I couldn't get into the house in the first place. Just...waited outside on the phone like a coward." He bit his lip, running his hand through his hair, a new shower of ash sprinkling down on the elevator floor. "I'm uh...I'm gonna go. Night Lucifer."

"Night…"

"Night Dad!" Trixie called as the doors shut, carrying a doll that looked an awful lot like Maze, but wearing the same matching pajamas as her owner. "Lucifer, Abraxas. Abraxas, Lucifer." She smiled, introducing her new companion. "Maze said Magagsy was probably just a puddle of melted rubber somewhere at the Hills Estate, so she came with me and Ella to pick out this one. Cool, huh?"

"Quite," Lucifer didn't have to try too terribly hard to feign interest. "You seem to be taking this quite well for a child that just lost all her things. Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

"Mom said it was all just stuff," she shrugged before a devilish smile spread across her face. "Can we play your Nintendo since mom's not here?"

"Oh sure, now that I'm at a bit of a disadvantage," he scoffed in fun, nodding to his sling.

By midnight and about a hundred failed attempts to stay on the Rainbow Road as Princess Peach pummeled him with those blasted little red turtles, he'd finally sent the Urchin to bed and sat on the couch, playing with his Zippo for the last hour. He was trying to resist the urge to dial the number to the phone in Chloe's room, but without realizing it, he'd placed the call, still opening and closing the lid. "Hello?"

He had to swallow back the relieved lump in his throat when he heard her sleepy voice. "I'm sorry, Detective. Did I wake you?"

"It's okay. I thought about calling you too. Are you alright?"

He sighed, "Are you sure you don't need me there? Just say the word and we'll sneak in past Nurse Happy."

"We?"

"Trixie didn't want me to be alone, I guess. Or she wanted to slaughter me at _Mario Kart_ , I haven't decided which."

"Probably both," Chloe laughed. "Linda's spending the night, so I'll be fine. You'll be okay alone with Trixie. Just don't let her get you into trouble."

"I'll try my best." He watched the dancing flame of his lighter, almost entranced by the fact something so small and beautiful almost took every single thing that made him happy on Earth away from him. It took his breath away and blurred his vision, tears pooling in his eyelids. "I'll uh...I'll let you go. You need your sleep, Chloe. I just...wanted to say I love you and I'll be there first thing in the morning."

"I love you too, Lucifer."

He hung up and put the phone down, unable to tear his eyes away from the flame.

"L...Lucifer?" a small, shaky voice came from above.

His eyes darted around the ceiling, thinking he was going crazy until he finally realized Trixie was perched on the metal catwalk behind him. He closed the lighter, tilting his head back to see her, though his view was upside down. "I thought you'd gone to bed?"

She shook her head, hugging her knees to her chest on the cold grated floor. "Can you um...please don't um…"

"We've been over this. If your mum's not here, it's perfectly safe for me to smoke as long as you're in the other room…" he trailed off, finally making the connection. "...The lighter." He sighed, walking up the spiral staircase and taking a seat by the little girl, his back against the bookcase. "Your mum's statement mentioned a lighter like this, didn't it. You're not as okay with everything as what you're letting on, are you?" Trixie just stared blankly back at him, shaking and looking like she was about to start crying. "Come here," he opened his good arm and pulled her tightly to him, kissing the top of her head. "It would have all been a lot different had it not been for you, Brat."

"How so?" she asked, her voice small as she cuddled into his side.

"You figured out you could pray to me. And to Amenadiel. I thought your mum had just burned another pizza when I got the text about the fire alarms until I heard you screaming at me in my head." That made her laugh, causing a grin to spread across his face as well. "It honestly makes me physically ill that I couldn't save you both, but had it not been for you calling my brother…"

"Mommy would have died…" He nodded against her head, a tear rolling off his nose and into her hair. "Please don't hate me, Lucifer."

"What?"

"If I hadn't...prayed to Amenadiel, mommy would be gone and...and so would Johnny...and...it would be my fault because you took me first."

"Johnny?" He raised an eyebrow, pondering it for a moment. "Trixie, _none_ of what happened was your fault. Just like it wasn't mine or your mum's...or Maze. It was a very bad man that lost _his_ family and...and wanted to punish everyone that was happy. We were just lucky that everything fell into place and we're all fine." He squeezed her a little harder, "Even if your mum had...had...died...I wouldn't hate you, Urchin. I could have left you and taken your mum against her will, you know."

"But she never would have let you live it down," she pulled away and grinned, trying to make light of such a heavy situation, her cheeks shining with tears.

Lucifer's weren't much dryer as he untangled his arm from her back and wiped them away, "Please don't tell my brother you saw me crying, okay?"

"Only if you don't tell anyone I did. Deal?" she stuck her hand out after wiping off his cheeks with her sleeve.

"Deal." They shook on it and chuckled. "Now, we have _got_ to stop with these serious conversations and go back to making fun of each other, understood?" he winked, reaching behind him to pull an old book off the shelf. He tucked it in his sling, getting up and motioning for Trixie to head down the stairs first. "I think you and I both need a laugh, how about you?" She just nodded, sitting down on the chaise of the couch. Lucifer sat down next to her, pulling the blanket over them both and opened the book as she cuddled up to him. "This lovey dovey crap stays between us, capiche?"

"Capiche."

"Right. I know you just had a fight with your mum about being too old to be read to, but my friend Douglas here always makes me laugh. I think you'll like him too."

Trixie gasped, looking at the cover. "I love this movie! It has the guy from _Sherlock_ in it!"

"Movie? Child please. The book is always better," he scoffed, clearing his throat. " _Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-eight million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea…_ "

"Lu-" Linda was about to call out when the elevator doors opened the next morning. She stopped herself when she found her favorite patient and his step daughter sound asleep on the couch, cuddled up together with a book wide open on the floor. She grinned from ear to ear, pulling out her phone and taking a few pictures of the precious scene, composing a text to the girl's mother. " _Stopped by to check on these two. I think they're going to be okay. :)_ " The therapist hit send before she remembered Chloe's phone was melted somewhere in the pile of rubble and made a mental note to show her when she got back instead.

* * *

"Okay, the wheelchair is a little excessive," Chloe crossed her arms stubbornly as her husband rolled her out of the hospital and into the sunshine.

"The wheelchair is discharge policy, Detective." He smirked, looking down to see she must not have hated it too much. She tilted her head back, soaking in the sunshine she'd been without for the past week. "Besides, what kind of husband would I be if I let you waddle that far?" he laughed, completely unable to resist the urge to bend down and kiss her gently on the nose, backing away quickly in order to escape the fury that always followed. Instead, she just chuckled and tried to brush him off like a fly.

She made a contented little noise, sitting back up as far as she could and squeezed the hand on her shoulder. "Take me home, Lucifer."

"Your chariot awaits, madam!" he grinned, putting on the breaks and pulling out his best game show voice to dramatically gesture to the flashy car as the valet tossed him his keys. "Now, the Corvette is um...well she was crushed and paint was burned off and...and it was bad. Really _really_ tragic. I had her buried. Anyway, like the new ride? Sexy right?"

He used the word "new" loosely as what sat in front of her was mostly the same car she'd grown to love and, admittedly, had more than a couple fantasies that took place in it's black leather seats. It was still a 1962 Corvette convertible with only three differences. The interior was a dark, sexy red, and the body was shockingly white. Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose, but couldn't help but laugh at what she saw on the front. The license plate was still the vintage black and gold, but it was the third difference that sent her into a fit of giggles, "DVL DAD? A little on the nose, don't you think?"

"It was time for a change," Lucifer shrugged holding out his hand for her. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

"You know you're going to have to help me out of this thing when we get home, right? I'm basically a turtle on its back at this point," Chloe sighed, leaning back in her seat, admiring the new interior as her husband laughed. "Why not just drive my Mustang? That was safe in the parking garage at Lux, wasn't it?"

Lucifer looked at her as if that was the most preposterous thing in the world, "What's the point in living in Los Angeles if you can't have a convertible, Detective? Besides...it may or may not be in the shop." At her expectant eyebrow raise, he looked away a little sheepishly, "I owed Trixie a favor. Care to see what we got done though?" She just glared at him as he pulled away from the curb and drove her home.

By the time they made it into the elevator at Lux, Chloe had calmed exponentially. It was primarily due to the fact that her husband had yet to let go of her hand and wouldn't stop smiling. As long as she kept the thought of the partners that lost their significant others out of her mind, she was just as giddy to be out of the hospital and ready to spend the day on the couch, watching whatever movies Trixie or Lucifer wanted. She leaned her head on her husband's bicep, smiling back at him in the gold reflection of the doors, completely worn out by her short walk from the car.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and nibbled at her ear, letting his hand wander down to caress her perfectly peach-like bum in the flowing baby blue sun dress. She moaned eagerly, biting her lip as her head lulled back, letting her hand fall from her belly to teasingly brush the front of his pants, "You, Mrs. Morningstar, are going straight to bed." He whispered, the hot breath on her ear causing her toes to curl.

"That does sound nice…"

"Mhmm," he nodded, kissing her temple. "You're going to put your feet up and cuddle with your devilishly handsome husband until our son decides he wants to come out and play, alright?"

"Wait...just...just cuddling?"

He chuckled as the elevator car leveled and opened to reveal an obnoxious amount of blue streamers and party favors hanging off of the ceiling and every other surface imaginable. "We'll discuss the details after your baby shower."

"SURPRISE!" all of their friends threw blue confetti at the couple as they stepped into the room.

Chloe shook her head, happily accepting hug after hug, the longest being from Maze. She noticed things were still a bit tense between her old roommate and her husband, but it wasn't nearly as palpable as it had been. "Glad to see you home, Decker."

"Aww, I love you, Maze," she beamed, squeezing her friend extra tightly and rubbing her leather clad back. "You still haven't gotten it through to him that I'm not big on surprises though, have you?" she whispered as the music started.

"Who do you think hung all the streamers?" she pulled back, pausing to smack a friendly kiss on her cheek that would have made the Detective a bit uncomfortable had she not grown to love her so much for all of those strange quirks.

The demon was about to say something else, but Chloe was grabbed by none other than Penelope Decker, "Mom!" she plastered a smile on her face, but turned around to throw daggers at the handsome party planner. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh Pumpkin, I came as soon as I could. I was filming in Cabo and just couldn't get away. How are you feeling? Are you alright? My poor baby!" She pulled her in for a hug, but pushed back, looking down at what blocked them from getting too close, "My God you've gotten huge since your wedding."

"Uh huh. Th...thanks." Chloe set her jaw, trying her hardest not to explode, "Lucifer!"

"Penelope. How lovely it is to see you again," her husband rushed over, turning the charm on thick for his mother-in-law. "I do hope you'll excuse us, but I know Trixie was chomping at the bit to show her mum what we'd been working on besides the new sprinkler system and the lock on the elevator. We'll be back. There's chocolate diapers on the balcony...if you can get past what they look like. Not sure what Amenadiel was thinking there. And Dan set up Diaper Pong at the bar. Enjoy!" He flashed one last grin at her and gently dragged his wife away, calling for Trixie to join them.

"You _had_ to tell my mom…" she rolled her eyes, but smiled when Trixie grabbed her hand.

"That is _not_ my fault, I assure you," he grumbled, helping her down the steps to the hallway, stopping at the door Trixie had already decorated with her drawings. "Evidently the _Hot Tub High School_ star and one of LA's top nightclub owners house being on fire, tied to serial killer, made national news. She showed up this morning."

Chloe just grimaced, glad she didn't have her phone to see it all. "What are we doing down here?"

"We wanted to show you this!" Trixie smiled, opening the door. "We decorated my baby brother's room all by ourselves."

"Turns out it _was_ rather fun, actually," Lucifer grinned, guiding his wife into their hard work. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful," she laughed at herself as her daughter handed her a box of Kleenex, already needing it. She looked around at the grey walls, the white furniture, and plush carpet giving the room a soft, warm feeling. There were four artistic prints of vintage cars framed with dark red wood on one wall, each one with the model version right beside it on a little white shelf. She had to dab at her eyes with the tissue when she saw her husband's old license plate above the crib, but the opposite wall gave the mom a pause. "Um...Lucifer?"

"Yes love?" he asked, beaming proudly.

"I probably don't need to ask, but um...what's with the _pinups_ in the _nursery_?" she cocked her head, tapping her finger on her pursed lips.

"They're not just _pinups_ , mom. They're powerful, beautiful women depicted in classic works of art, straight from World War II," Trixie grinned, not so slyly accepting the Benjamin Lucifer slipped into her hands.

He just laughed, wrapping his wife in both arms, careful not to jar the one that was almost healed. "He _is_ my son, Detective."

"Yep. That's pretty much what I thought you would say."

Knowing Chloe was exhausted and needed to settle in to her new, old home, they kept the party short and sweet. Dan shocked the Hell out of everyone by winning the Teddy Bear Diaper Relay, Linda had the best gift for the father-to-be consisting of an apron, safety goggles, clothes pins, and barbeque tongues, labeling them as a Dad's Diaper Duty Kit, and Ella ended up replacing every one of the onesies Chloe had accumulated by her new found obsession with a logo maker, using every angel and Devil pun imaginable. Maze and Dan gave the parents a giant coupon book, good for a date night babysitting gig here, or a weekend getaway there, and Amenadiel, practicing to be the fun uncle he wanted to be, gave his nephew a life sized stuffed goat for his nursery, promising Trixie he'd get her one just like it for her birthday. After everyone had helped to clean up, Penelope left with Dan, Maze, and Trixie, Linda and Amenadiel scurried off to a much needed weekend away to really catch up, and Ella rattled off something about a new _Star Trek_ themed bar in Pasadena.

Lucifer yawned as he stepped up into the bedroom, pausing to pick up a tiny blue stray piece of confetti. He was untucking his shirt and fiddling with the buttons, but stopped to lean against the old familiar Asyerian stone wall, sighing happily at the sight of Chloe in their old bed. She was curled up on her side, her belly resting somewhat comfortably on one of the silk pillows and her hair forming a radiant gold curtain around her face. She was giggling softly as she ran her hand up and down her bump, looking up at him with those big blue eyes, "Coming to bed?"

"Thought you'd never ask," he wiggled his eyebrows at her, stripping down to his boxers and moving in to be the big spoon, his sore arm draped over top of her to feel his child stretching his cramped limbs. He gently moved her chin so that he could place a light, loving peck on her sweet lips, but she trapped his face where it was and deepened the kiss, pushing her delicious tongue into his mouth as she rolled over to her back. "Mmmm…" he moaned, as her cold hand traveled down his bare torso, sneaking into the hem of his Calvin Klines. "Sure you want to start that?" Lucifer growled from the back of his throat as she ran a delicate hand up the length of his shaft.

She nodded, biting her lip and piercing him with her lustful eyes. After a couple failed attempts at getting up herself, she sighed in defeat, "Can you help me up?"

He chuckled, but did as she asked, sitting up to lean against the headboard and running a hand through her hair. "Chloe, we don't have to do this. If it hurt last time, I don't-"

She kissed him again, this time more forcefully as she tugged at his boxers until he wiggled them off himself, throwing them across the room. "That's why I'll lead," she whispered, straddling his knees and pulling off her nightgown before kissing a trail down his chin and neck, following the goosebumps between his nipples and down his stomach. As his fingers tangled tighter into her hair, she ran her newly healed hands up and down his thighs, moving to accommodate her bump. She left feather light kisses all around his hips and between his, the changes in his breathing causing a fire in her belly, her lips already swelling and aching for his touch as his hands ran down her back.

Wrapping her fingers around his stiffening cock, she kissed the tip, glancing up to see his eyes roll back into his skull. She smiled, leaning down as far as she could to kiss each of his balls, running her tongue back up before taking him all in, moaning at his taste as she played with the pressure, letting her canines just barely graze his smooth skin to keep it exciting. "Chloe," he tightened his grip on her hair, his hips rocking slowly as she ran her tongue over his head, faster and faster, one hand tightening in its motion, the other gently kneading his scrotum.

Lucifer nudged her to come up with what little concentration he had left, pulling her in for a kiss as she straddled him again, her belly pressed tightly into his. She bit her lip and eased herself gingerly down onto him, gasping with every passing centimeter as he feathered her chest with kisses. She leaned back, pinning his legs down to make sure she was in control, whimpering as she moved up and down, slowly getting deeper and deeper until she just couldn't go any farther without screaming.

But she pushed herself as far as she could go, locking eyes with the beautiful husband she was put on Earth to love. The man she thought of as she held her little girl in the bathtub, wanting only to see him again, knowing he would keep her and her child safe. Their _children_ safe. Her vision blurred as she went deeper and deeper, moving her hands into his thick, soft hair, kissing him hungrily as they both moved together as one in the rhythm of their heartbeats.

The Devil could feel the tears on his wife's face as she convulsed into her orgasm, trying not to move any farther himself for fear of causing her more pain. He just held her close, still inside, burying his face in her shoulder, and breathing in that intoxicating scent he could never live without. She was home. She was still his. And everything was going to be okay.

* * *

 _Phew! Okay, please do not be disappointed. I hope you liked this chapter. There are two more to come for A Doting Devil, so don't dismay. The story's not over yet. :)_

 _Please let me know what you thought! Just remember, be kind! ;)_

 _PS: Props to Douglas Adams for the first two paragraphs of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and the genius that wrote it into the show that Luci is a fan. I LOVE YOU!_


	12. A Little Devil in You

_Hi everyone! Thank you all for being so patient. Turns out this summer is a little busier than I anticipated. I can't believe how amazingly wonderful your reviews and Tweets have been. You have no idea how much I appreciate all the love and support. :)_

 _Welp, here we have it. The very long penultimate chapter of 'A Doting Devil'. This is quite literally the chapter that started it all in my head so I do hope you enjoy it. Also, a huge thank you to Kyoko Minion for asking the tough questions that inspired a bit of the first half of this chapter. I_ hope _some of those will be answered._

 _And Agni for making sure I'm taking care of myself and assuring me that my lovely readers WILL wait for me. :) Now, on with the show!_

 _**Slightly Graphic Content Ahead**_

Chapter 12

"That didn't actually survive the fire, did it?" Ella cocked her head, inspecting the large, pristine canvas in the master bedroom of the Lux penthouse. It was the same picture from the owners' wedding that sparked the bride's inkling to check Michelle Jones' Wobble page what felt like ages ago. She couldn't help but grin at how happy her friends looked, and breathed a little sigh of relief that they were able to continue on the same way. They all were.

"No, not much of anything survived. Lucifer surprised me with that yesterday. Look how tiny I was..." Chloe chuckled a little sadly, waddling heavily up behind her midwife in the baby blue silk robe that replaced her pink one.

"Yeah, I mean there it looks like you swallowed a basketball. Now you've got a full on beach ball in there," Ella snickered, her tone teasing but ever so cautious at the same time. At the woman's tired eyebrow raise, she put her hands up in surrender. "I'm kidding. You're gorgeous, daaaahling. Now lay down so we can finish this little checkup." She resisted the Detective's insistence that she didn't need help and fluffed her pillow before easing her back, noticing she seemed a bit distant, obviously lost in thought. "You okay?"

"Hmm?" she perked up, but shrugged it off. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Sorry," Ella squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I didn't mean to bring up the fire. That was stupid of me. I can't imagine how hard it is to lose everything. I just-"

"Oh, no. It's okay. Lucifer's replaced almost everything that could be at this point."

"In baby blue."

"In baby blue," Chloe rolled her eyes, smiling as she gave her belly a loving pat. "It's not like we were left homeless. His arm is completely healed by now and my hands are fine. Trixie's not waking up screaming in the middle of the night anymore. I think...I think we're okay. I just...um...it's stupid."

Ella crossed her legs on the bed, her hand still in hers. "What is it?"

"I just…" she sighed, clearing her throat in hopes to thwart off her voice cracking, "when I found out we were having a boy, the first thing I thought after 'Dammit, Lucifer was right', was that I would have a son to pass down my dad's badge to. Everything else is replaceable, but...not that."

"Isn't it metal though? That license plate was fine when Dan found it. I'm sure the late, great John Decker's badge made it through okay. Nothing I wouldn't be able to polish up for you in my magic lab!"

"No one found it. But, it's just a thing." Chloe shook her head with a sad half smile, squeezing the hand in hers, "It's not fair to complain when your husband bends over backwards to put things back to how they were and...and I get to see him and my daughter again when I never thought I would. I was...lucky…"

Ella watched her closely, "You're still talking to Linda? About...everything?"

"I am," she nodded, her voice uncharacteristically small as she sat up as far as she was able to against the pillows.

"Good. You know," the mood felt a bit too heavy for the perky lab tech. She turned around to look at the large picture on the wall and back to Chloe. "As totes adorbs as the story behind that creepy clown mermaid was, it still wasn't my favorite. I love that picture of you two."

"Me too," Chloe chuckled, knowing exactly what she was doing. But she paused to squint at her, "Even you're not that eccentric, Ella. What could possibly be cute about a clown mermaid?"

Her eyes grew wide, "You never asked why a millionaire had a cheesy creepy merclown in his bedroom? He never _told_ you?"

"No…? I just thought it was a weird Lucifer thing. Like maybe he was really strung out on something when he bought it."

"Oh honey, he had it bad for you, even back then," she grinned. "Dan said he bought it off of some drug dealer, smuggler guy that was involved with that professor that poisoned you. It was the only way he could get the list of ingredients for the antidote. I love that he hung it up in his bedroom instead of just throwing it away though. Of _all_ places. Who knew the _Devil_ was such a sentimental softy?"

Chloe was a little stunned, recalling a similar conversation with her other tribal sister, "And then he went to Hell for me to…get the formula…"

She tried to sneak a hand up to wipe the tears off her cheeks, but a slightly confused looking Ella just laughed, "Do you want me to have him bring it back up from the basement or…?"

Chloe shook her head, accepting a Kleenex from her, though it was a futile effort against the hormones. Her heart squeezed as she gazed into her husband's big brown, heartbreakingly happy eyes in the picture. "He... _died_ for me that day. L...Linda told me about it right after I found out I was pregnant." At Ella's now even more confused expression, she took a deep breath to try and calm herself and continued with the details she'd dragged out of the therapist later. "Jason Carlisle never wrote down the formulas to his antidotes so in order to save me he had to...he had to die...and…and find the bastard in Hell and...I made fun of his stupid ugly painting."

"Oh Chloe. He's a tough guy, it's okay," no matter how touched she was by the unknown half of the story, Ella still let a sympathetic little chuckle slip as she gave her sobbing friend a hug. "My last boyfriend wouldn't run down to the bodega for tampons for me. How did you get so lucky?"

Chloe held on tight and let it all out into the midwife's shoulder, soaking the purple t-shirt sleeve, "I don't _know_. I don't know why God picked _me_. I'm just...I'm no one. I can't even carry His grandkid without whining. I just…what _happened_ to me?!"

"Shh, no. You're not whining. You're just pregnant and the hormones are mean. You're fine," she gently rocked her, but pulled away, furrowing her brow, "Wait. I mean I know Little Dude's abuelo is the big guy but...what do you mean 'picked you'?"

"I'm sorry…" the mom blushed, her cheeks already red and blotchy from the crying. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this." She tried to steer the subject away from her celestial father-in-law, having heard about her friend's recent struggles with Him. Ella just cocked her head at her, raising an eyebrow in the way she always did when she knew there was more to the story. Chloe pursed her lips and dried her eyes, thinking how best to explain without sounding crazy. As if that was at all possible, given her entire situation. "God sent Amenadiel to bless my mom...to have me...putting me in Lucifer's path."

"You guys were _literally_ meant to be together…"

The Devil's bride nodded, swallowing back the lump in her throat, "Lucifer, being Lucifer, thought it was all part of a big plan to punish him, but...if I'm right, I think his dad brought us together for…" as if on queue, the baby gave her a forceful punch to the kidney, making her flinch away from the pillow and grab for her back. "Yes, I'm talking about you," she groaned, though a nervous smile played at her lips as she rubbed what felt like a tiny little butt across the top of her bump. "I just hope I can do it, you know? I've been so worried about being strong enough to carry him and then to...to have him...I've barely thought about _raising_ a...an angel aside from a little freakout before the wedding..."

"I don't have a single doubt in any of those things," Ella smiled, continuing on with her checklist as her friend slowly started to control her tears. "Besides, you have all of us if you need help. And for the record, Chloe...you're far from no one. You domesticated _Beelzebub_ and turned Hugh Heffner's roll model into Mr. Mom. That takes one hell of a special woman. Pun a happy coincidence." She squinted, suddenly looking serious as she helped her friend scoot down so she was laying on her back, "But...are you _positive_ you don't want me to tell your husband to bring the merclown back up?"

"God no," she laughed, smacking her lightly with a silky gold throw pillow to completely eradicate the tension and bring the mood back to a lighter atmosphere. "I'll just remember it fondly, thanks."

"Just making sure." She grinned, grabbing the pillow and throwing it back to her before nodding to her belly, "He still a squirmy little thing?"

Chloe shrugged, still pulling herself back into the present, "Not as much as he was. I mean, that's normal isn't it? Trixie didn't move much at all, let alone in that last month. He should be fine, right?"

"He's perfect, don't you worry," Ella winked, opening the robe and lifting her white tank top to her chest, gently poking around to feel the little boy. "He's in the right position, he's obviously dropped, and his heart rate was perfect ten minutes ago. You're in the home stretch, Mama Decker!"

"Emphasis on stretch," she sighed, nervously eyeing the bump that had become more of a mound in the last two weeks. "I don't know how I could get _bigger_. I honestly don't remember Trixie being this massive. Is this like...a boy thing maybe?"

"Or a celestial thing," her friend mused. "Now you're _sure_ we don't have to worry about wings or...horns...anything like that?"

She glared at her in fun, "Lucifer doesn't have horns, unfortunately."

" _Un_ fortunately?"

" _Fortunately,_ " she corrected herself with a sheepish squeak. "I really don't feel like pushing those out too."

"I don't feel like sewing that up," Ella shivered, digging out the measuring tape from her bag and stretching it from her sternum to her pelvic bone, raising an eyebrow and glancing over to her notebook. "Want to take a guess?"

"Shouldn't I be around 37?" She asked, sounding anything but confident from the quizzical smirk on Ella's face. "Am I not textbook anymore?"

"43 centimeters, actually."

Chloe's eyes grew wide as she protested, trying to prop herself up on her elbow, "Do you think they got my due date wrong?" Ella gently coerced her back down, but she still looked a little panicked, "Sure, it wasn't the _best_ clinic for my first sonogram, but no one's said anything different from the other two. We don't have as much time as we thought, do we? Or..." she took a drink from the water bottle her friend handed to her. "Or he's just...really big…"

"Honestly, had the doctors thought you were full term, they probably would have just induced you while you were in the hospital. _But_ , I distinctly remember one of them saying they wanted to keep him in as long as they could so his widdle lungs could develop more." She shrugged, feeling around again before grabbing a pair of blue latex gloves, "If it would make you feel any better, we can do a quick check to see if you're dilated at all. If you're comfortable with that. I mean...I'm gonna have to get in there eventually, but I know it's weird and-"

"Ella, you're fine. It's kind of your job here," Chloe nodded, though her pursed lips gave away her poker face as she shimmied her shorts down. "I don't want to be six hours away from my midwife when my water breaks."

"Right," Ella nodded, her ponytail dancing on the back of her head. "Most besties don't get this close," she laughed, in an attempt to ease her own worries as she started her exam, talking gently through Chloe's wince. "He's probably just going to be a long little dude. Look at his dad-"

"Why Miss Lopez! I didn't know you peaked at the Detective's phone," Lucifer appeared on the steps in the doorway, causing both women on the bed to jump. "What _do_ we have here? Should I be jealous? Need a third?" he asked, eyebrows wiggling as he took in the rather awkward, though slightly arousing sight before him.

A little flustered, Ella took off her gloves and covered her friend back up, much to her amusement as her husband had obviously seen everything. "Chloe's measuring past forty weeks, so we just wanted to make sure she wasn't dilated at all yet. Usually if a mom's already had a baby, she'll be at about a centimeter or two for a couple weeks before active labor starts." Settling down from the shock, she flashed an excited smile to her patient, patting her knee, "Your cervix is completely closed right now, and you said you still have your mucus plug, so I think you'll be totally fine for your vacation."

Lucifer cringed, but the frustration was clear in his body language, "Miss Lopez, please talk my wife out of this silly little trip she's insisting on. It can't be wise to be that far from home this close to the due date."

"It's not a silly little trip, Lucifer," his wife huffed, Ella helping her to sit up. "It's a babymoon. Fitz put me on leave already, Dan and Maze are taking Trixie to Vegas for the Fourth of July, and it's…" she trailed off, "...it's the last little bit of time we have left to ourselves. Unless you don't _want_ to go away with a whale." She crossed her arms angrily on top of her belly and bit her lip, her eyes welling up.

"Do _not_ put words in my mouth, Detective. I just want to know what happened to my wife that answered the question 'Where are we going for our honeymoon? The world is yours!' with 'Let's go upstairs and binge _Friends_ on the big screen'?" he went sarcastically falsetto to imitate her voice, causing her to scowl at him. He was just worried, but it wasn't coming out that way as his own voice rose half an octave, "And now she wants to road trip to San Francisco when she's ready to pop and very clearly feels miserable. What's the plan? Waddle across the Golden Gate Bridge?"

"I'm not... _miserable_. I'm just…large. Waterlogged. But I need to do this. What happened to my obnoxiously spontaneous husband and fulfilling our desires and blah blah blah?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes, for a moment at a loss for words. "So is Miss Lopez coming with us or do you think I desire to spontaneously deliver my own son in the Corvette on the side of the road?"

Ella had quietly started packing up her bag and stashed it in the walk in closet. She was going to make her escape without them noticing and let them bicker this one out, but stopped when she heard her name from the rather exasperated first time dad. She tried her hardest not to laugh, but a smile was pulling at the corners of her mouth, "If anything happens, just throw a towel down to save the upholstery and give me a call. You'll be fine."

"You canNOT be serious."

"Of course I'm not being serious," she cocked her head at him, hand on her hip. "Chloe is fine. You'll only be gone a few days and she's due in two and a half weeks. Besides, I know how you drive. You'd be back in the penthouse three hours after her first contraction."

Chloe snorted, "Exactly."

Lucifer growled, throwing his wife a look that almost verged on threatening had his eyes not been sparkling sympathetically at the sight of how pathetic she looked, trying to get up from the big fluffy bed.

Ella just smiled as he went to help her, "I'm gonna head out. My brother's got this new business venture he wants my opinion on and said he'd take me out to dinner. Chloe," she went to give her best friend a hug, knowingly squeezing her extra tight, "be super duper careful, okay?"

"Always," she hugged her back, a bit reluctant to let go. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Call me if you need _anything_." At Chloe's nod in her shoulder, she pulled away and quickly trapped the Devil in a hug as well before he could escape. "You too, Daddy. You know I'm always here for you."

"Thank you, Miss Lopez," he cleared his throat, feigning discomfort. "Now if you'll allow me use of my arms, I do have something for you."

"Awww, did you get me a present?"

Lucifer chuckled, reaching into his suit pocket, "Your key card. I finally had a lock put on the elevator."

Ella smirked, noticing Lucifer's stick figure drawing of her, complete with lab goggles, ponytail, and her bag of midwife supplies among the rhinestones. "Did you...bedazzle my key card?"

"That was uh….the Urchin."

"Sure it was, big guy," she winked, lightly punching his good arm and turning to Chloe to whisper, "nesting." Chloe nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder, argument clearly forgotten or just so easily won that there were no lasting hormonal grudges. Ella grinned, heading for the elevator, "Well, you two have fun. And remember, an active sex life means an easier labor!"

"In that case, we may not need you after all, Miss Lopez."

The last thing she heard before the elevator doors shut was a light thwack and a mischievous giggle from the Devil. She had to blink several times to clear her vision from the relieved tears that threatened to fall as she glanced up to the ceiling and reached to play with her still absent bling. Almost everything was exactly as it should be again.

* * *

" _I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do is for you. I want your love! Let's break the walls between us_ ," Lucifer paused his flawless singalong to brush a feather light kiss a the back of Chloe's hand, her fingers laced with his, their elbows resting on the center console of the Range Rover. " _Don't make it tough. I'll put away my pride. Enough's enough. I've suffered and I've seen the liiiiiight….. Baa-aa-by, you're my aaaaaangel-_ "

He had been serenading her since shortly past San Luis Obispo, the third bag of Sour Patch Kids between them, and what felt like the 47th bathroom break, but they were almost there. _Thank Gramps_... "Wouldn't me being an angel make us related?" Chloe asked, mildly impatient, shifting in her seat to readjust the new stuffed donut she'd swiped off her daughter's bed that morning.

Her husband looked completely offended. He pulled his hand away from hers and gently pinched at the very obvious foot bulging from the side of her belly, "Maybe I was singing to this little angel, Detective. Why must you always make everything about you?"

"HA! You couldn't even say that with a straight face, could you?" She rolled her eyes, but after finally finding a comfortable position with the seat back, she looked down at his hand, still resting on her bump after the foot retreated. His dark onyx ring sparkled in the bright sunlight through the open sunroof as she played connect the dots with the freckles on his arm. She bit her lip, studying the chiseled outline of his muscles as they met with the clean white shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Looking up at him while he sang and drove, she felt butterflies in her stomach and couldn't help but giggle at just how much like a stereotypical schoolgirl she felt.

"What?" He only took his eyes off the road for a second to give her a quizzical little grin before turning up the radio, "Ah, here we go. _This_ one is all yours, Detective. _Love of my liiiiiiiife, don't leave me. You've stolen my looooove, you now desert me. Love of my life, can't you see? Bring it back, bring it back… Don't take it away from me because you don't knoooooooow, what it means to me…_ "

"You're stuck with me, Buster," Chloe laughed, flashing her own onyx ring, now too tight to take off. "Do you like the name Freddie?"

"Freddie? I'm surprised you know who he is. He wasn't part of any of your little 90s bands," Lucifer winked. "He was a good friend, but…"

"What? I just meant I like the name," Chloe's jaw dropped. "Do you mean…? You and... _thee_ Freddie…Freddie Mercury?"

He laughed, "You're not Cannoli Sisters, no. We were strictly friends. He was still engaged to Mary when I knew him, actually."

" _You're_ the one that…the skillet…"

"No, no," he held his hand up to stop her wandering ideas. "You know I take the vows of marriage, or at least impending marriage seriously. Like I said, we were just friends. Good friends."

Chloe reached up to grab his hand again, giving it a light squeeze when she noticed the sadness in his eyes, "Is that why you didn't visit much in the 80s? Because...you had feelings for him and he was sick?" she asked cautiously, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I came back to say goodbye in '91. Not like I'd see him in Hell, you know. But no, Chloe," he kissed her hand again, looking into her big blue eyes a little longer than he probably should have while driving. "You, my love, are the first person in all of history I've ever had feelings for. Though I don't think that sums it up nearly enough. I _have_ missed that jealous little glimmer in your eye, I have to say," he winked.

Lost in her husband's eyes again, the Detective sighed with relief. It wasn't because his sexuality bothered her, but because she liked the idea of being that one special person in history to, as Ella said, domesticate Beelzebub. She was about to ask if there was any connection with him and the line in _Bohemian Rhapsody_ when a loud horn ripped both of them away from their thoughts. Chloe gasped, bracing herself as Lucifer skillfully swerved out of the way of the oncoming car, returning the angry woman's one-fingered salute.

"Oh God…" Chloe panted in the passenger seat, clearly shaken.

"You alright?" Lucifer asked, eyes wide with residual adrenaline as he reached over to squeeze her knee. Before she could respond, a California Highway Patrol turned on his siren and pulled out behind them. "Bugger," he huffed, pulling over to the side of the road.

The woman in the passenger seat stayed more or less silent, just trying to slow her heart rate as the young man got out of his car and approached Lucifer's side of the Range Rover. He rolled down the window and was just about to lay on the charm and turn on his mojo when she let out a gut wrenching wail of a moan.

Lucifer's heart stopped, his stomach instantly dropping, and all the blood rushed out of his face, leaving him pale, light headed, and clammy. "Chloe?" She was trying to sit up, one hand squeezing the handle in the door, the other pressed tight to the side of her belly. She was whimpering, her beautiful face scrunched in pain.

"Sir, do you know you almost caused a massive head-on collision back there?" the cop asked, leaning on the side of the car to get a good look inside.

The driver's heart was pounding in his throat as he looked from his wife to the cop. Had it just been him, he would have peeled out of there, leaving the bastard in the dust. Now that he had more than just himself to think about, cringeworthy scenarios of a tragically ending car chase ran through his mind, leaving him uncharacteristically nervous. His half-assed attempt at drawing out the man's desires just left the poor sap confused and standing on the side of the road like a lost puppy. His powers completely distracted, he went to the next best thing and cautiously reached for his wallet.

As if to answer the cop's question, Chloe reached out to grab a fistful of her husband's vest, her head digging into the back of her seat as she squirmed, "OWWWWW!"

"Oh!" The cop adjusted his hat in jerky, skittish movements, coming out of the light trance, his own face growing pale as he eyed his patrol car, "Well you drive careful. Watch where you're going and...uh...good luck. Consider this a warning."

Lucifer watched in the rearview mirror as the cop quickly retreated to the safety of his car, the hand free from Chloe's death grip shaking all the way from his wallet to the gear shifter. He awkwardly put the car into drive with his left hand and eased back onto the road, looking frantically for a place to turn around. Easier said than done on the coastal highway. "Breathe, Detective. Do you think there's time to get you home or should I start looking for those little blue signs?" He could feel himself starting to sweat, his wife's groans tearing his heart to shreds. At least if they made it to a hospital, he wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath of Maze seeing the former King of Hell crumbling at the sight of a human's pain.

Chloe shook her head, eyes still squeezed shut. "No," she panted, her face finally starting to relax, "no. I think you should…look for your copy of _What to Expect_ if you think labor comes on _that_ fast." She couldn't stay in character any longer, her face breaking out into a cheek splitting grin, "And you say my acting has slipped since _Hot Tub High School_? Watch the road." She laughed mischievously as she gently nudged her husband's face, slack jawed, to look out the windshield.

"You…" the Devil patted his chest, smoothing out his vest and shaking his head, "you could have given me a little warning. I nearly pissed myself. Not so sure I didn't," he huffed, sounding like a high schooler left out of his friends' inside joke. "And what, pray tell, would you have done had the man offered to help deliver, exactly?"

"Well," she squealed, still holding back a full on fit of giggles by her husband's reaction, "things may have been a little awkward."

"Could've just whipped out your badge," he mumbled.

"I didn't bring my badge," she replied, a little too quickly, slipping her hand back in his, her grip much lighter this time. "Aww come on, I thought you'd be proud of me. I've always wanted to try that!"

Lucifer gave her an amused side eye and tried to hide a grin by scratching his nose. "I think my son's a bad influence on you, Detective."

The mom put her sunglasses back on her nose and flipped her hair dramatically, "I think he wants Daddy to build Mommy a case for her Oscars."

"Oscar? Now _he's_ a different story..."

* * *

Only two bathroom breaks later, they finally made it to the hotel. Having been more or less in the dark about the whole thing right up until the previous morning, Lucifer half expected the GPS to take them to a Super 8. He was already planning to throw a fit and bribe whoever he needed to in order to get a luxurious suite in the busy city on the holiday, but much to his surprise, Chloe had booked them a room at one of the swankiest resorts, right on the bay.

As well as a table at the five star French restaurant on the ground floor where her eyes grew to the size of saucers when she saw the prices on the menu. He had taken it away with a small, sexy chuckle, ordered exactly what he knew she would want, complete with extra pickles on the side, and watched her in awe as the gentle breeze played with her hair.

The entire evening had been absolutely perfect once he was finally able to shake the horrified feeling her little performance had left him with. They had just come up from a sunset pampering session at the spa when Lucifer found his wife on the balcony, gazing down to the flurry of festive activity on the bay. She had her hair up in a messy bun and wore the white shirt he'd left on the bed, buttoned down to her belly, and the pair of heart boxers Ella had bought for him as a joke when she was helping to replenish her friend's wardrobe.

She hadn't noticed his presence yet, idly playing with her bullet necklace. He untied his thin, silk robe and snuck up behind her, wrapping his right arm around her chest and left a trail of kisses down her neck. "How is it you look more stunning in my clothes than I do?" He held her tight as she scoffed and stooped to rest his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the sweet hibiscus scent of the spa's lotion. "I think we're in trouble, Detective."

She sighed happily, leaning her temple to his, "Why do you say that?"

"Well, if you're right about the whole swapping cells thing, he's obviously putting a little Devil in you," he chuckled, lightly grinding her backside, "which isn't unlike how he got there in the first place."

"I wouldn't say little…" Chloe shook her head, exhaling a small, bashful laugh, "Sorry I went a little wild with your credit card."

" _Our_ credit card, Mrs. Morningstar."

She let her hand wander behind her and into his robe, those butterflies returning as she blindly ran her fingernails lightly up his strong thighs until unexpectedly hitting fabric. "Are you _really_ still wearing that stupid thing?"

"What's the Fourth of July if I can't break out the star spangled banana hammock?" he protested.

"But did you have to wear it to the spa?"

"This is mild for San Francisco, darling." He grinned, kissing the back of her neck and watched as she shivered with delight, "I'll let you take it off if you so desire."

"Wait…" she paused, her brow furrowing with concern as she reached behind with her left hand, Lucifer still holding her tight. "I thought you said your arm was feeling better. Are you okay?"

With one more kiss to the temple, he chuckled and laid what he was hiding on her chest so that it draped over her belly. She sighed, her eye roll audible, "We talked about this. You've already bought him four baby Prada suits. I promise you he won't be jealous of the kids in…" she picked it up and looked at the label in the diminishing sunset, pursing her lips, "Armani? Lucifer. You said you were getting a tie."

"I did, didn't I?" he smiled proudly, pointing to the tiny blue silk tie in the full set, complete with lavender shirt and black vest and jacket. "He'll be a top hat right from birth."

"You...do realize he won't fit in these for very long, right?" Chloe didn't know whether it was the tiny suit or the look on her husband's face that was melting her heart, but either way it was impossible to keep a smile off her face as the baby stretched, no matter how many organs he was crushing. "They don't stay this tiny forever. Look at how much Trixie has grown just since she asked you what a hooker was."

"Ah yes, the very first time Detective Douche wanted to knock my lights out."

"Exactly," she chuckled, sizing up the small suit as she stretched her back, "Besides. I don't think this kid is ever going to be _this_ little."

"Come here," Lucifer's eyes softened at his wife's discomfort, wrapping her in both of his arms and tossing the suit just inside the glass door. She melted into his chest once he started rubbing her lower back. "Better?"

"A bit," she nodded, pulling back far enough to look into her husband's eyes. "Not to sound like Linda here, but...are you overcompensating with our son and this top hat stuff because his mom is a shoe?"

He gave her a half smile, still massaging her back, "To paraphrase that blasted movie your spawn has made me watch a thousand times, 'And so the top hat fell in love with the shoe.'"

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, "That doesn't answer my question."

Lucifer made a strange little noise that made him sound like he was deflating, "I've come to realize a shoe's not so much a bad thing. It's warm and comfortable. When it fits, it just feels right." He reached up to caress her cheek, stroking her bottom lip with his thumb before kissing her tenderly, "It feels like home, Chloe. I just thought the suit was 'cute'," he shrugged bashfully, returning his hand to it's previous work. "And the only thing my dear old dad ever gave me was my ring, so…call it my only natural fatherly instinct."

His wife smiled, her eyes shining with the city lights, "He gave you me…?"

"And I could never top that," he nodded silently, swallowing hard as he kissed her forehead. "Though I guess I do get to give you to our son too, don't I?"

Chloe chuckled, knowing what he meant even if it wasn't all that eloquent. Just then, the first firework went off over the bay, lighting up the Golden Gate and both of their faces in a purple glow. She beamed, squeezing his hand and guiding them over to the big stuffed lounge chairs she'd pushed together. But, as soon as she got settled in, there was a knock at the door.

"Stay. Good Detective," Lucifer winked, tying his robe and heading for the door.

"Sorry!" She called after him over the fireworks, "I may have taken room service a bit too far…"

"Taking room service 'a bit too far' is ordering a hooker," the man walked back out to the balcony, a thoroughly amused grin on his face as he looked at the box, "not _Bomb Pops_."

Chloe bit her lip but reached out for the box excitedly as Lucifer cuddled up next to her, the chilly Northern California breeze off the bay clearly getting to him far more than it was to her. She handed him a popsicle and held hers out to clink for a cheers, turning her attention back to the fireworks and laying her head on his shoulder. "Sorry I keep roping you into all of these holidays that don't involve orgies."

"I'll be fine. Watching you eat that lolly will suffice," he growled, nibbling her ear, his breath ice cold. Chloe just squirmed away, pretending not to enjoy it.

"I love the Fourth," she sighed, her face glowing in the flashing lights. "Of all people, my mom hates the loud noises. So my dad used to take me to a different city in California every Fourth of July when he wasn't on patrol. Or we'd fly out to places like Mount Rushmore if he had the weekend off. We'd stop at a gas station for Bomb Pops right before we picked our spots to watch the fireworks. Usually we ended up somewhere on the outskirts of some woods where we'd get eaten alive by mosquitoes, but we'd try to get all of the popsicles eaten before they melted everywhere." Her smile faded with the last bite of the blue section, "I was too busy with a _Hot Tub High School_ wrap party on his last Fourth. I could tell he was bummed, but he kept telling me it was fine. I should go have fun with my costars…." she let out a deep breath, trying to control her emotions as she looked over to Lucifer with big sad eyes. "Then twenty three days later he was gone…"

Her husband smiled sadly, taking the last bite of his popsicle and opening the next, raising it for a toast, "To John Decker. And the impossibly large shoes he left for me to fill."

Chloe opened another and held it up to his, "To _both_ of our dads."

Lucifer hesitated, but the optimistic smile behind his wife's tears won him over and made him nod ever so slightly as he tapped the treat to hers. Chomping off both the red and white sections, he sent her into hysterics as the Devil himself battled the biggest brain freeze like a champ.

* * *

As per usual, even now that an alarm clock wasn't involved on her leave, Chloe was the first one awake the next morning. The faint smell of sulfur and gunpowder from the previous night's festivities still hung on the salty sea air as the light, warm breeze wafted through the balcony door. She yawned quietly, looking over at her husband, his beautiful bare bum peeking out from the white satin sheets, a small smile on his face and his hair a sexy mess from their own little post fireworks celebration.

She cautiously slipped out of his grip and did her best to tuck and roll out of bed, the only way she'd found to manage the task by herself lately. Grabbing her clothes and a few choice items from her bag, she slipped into the bathroom and got ready for the day, making her way down to the valet for the Range Rover before Lucifer even stirred.

Her heart was pounding and her hands shook as she entered the address into the GPS on her phone, but the stop and go traffic quickly took her mind off of her present mission and set her fingers twitching against the waterbottle in the cupholder. "Oh come _on_ ," she sighed, leaning her head against the headrest, her brow furrowing as she caught sight of the same light blue GTO in her rear-view mirror that she had for the last two turns.

She squinted in the reflection, the blood rushing from her face and settling into her already swollen feet. "8569TLQ…" she mumbled, reading the license plate to confirm it was the same car as before. Instinctively reaching for where the radio used to be in her LAPD cruiser, crushed alongside Lucifer's beloved Corvette, her hand grabbed at nothing and she bit her lip, eyeing for a side street. "Shit."

After taking six random residential streets, and sending her GPS into a tizzy, she finally felt it safe enough to continue onto her destination. Pulling up alongside an apartment building, cleverly camouflaged into the historical district with a colorful row-house facade, she yanked back the parking break and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "There's extra sour gummy worms in it for you later if you leave my bladder alone until I'm done here," she smiled down at her bump, trying anything to make herself feel better. Reaching over to her purse, she slipped the chain that held her badge around her neck and made sure her gun was loaded. "Deal?"

As if to respond, the baby kicked and with one final calming roll of her neck, she got out of the car and scanned her surroundings. Managing up the stairs on the sidewalk and up the massive hill, she holstered her gun and hid it under her flowy pink shirt, Ella's lockpicking set in the pocket of her maternity jeans. The hallway of the building smelled like freshly baked coffee cake and made her stomach growl as she worked the lock. It was slow, tedious work, but she'd thankfully had a great teacher and before she knew it, the tumblers all clicked into place and the deadbolt slid open.

She froze. The sweet, delicious scent was coming from inside what was supposed to be an abandoned apartment, its tennant still in a holding cell in Los Angeles. Hearing footsteps approach the door, she drew her gun, set her jaw, and pushed the safety aside, "SFPD, open the door!" she bellowed.

The door flung open and Chloe's jaw dropped, "Detective! I do hope you're hungry. What am I saying, of course you're hungry. SFPD with an LAPD badge? How interesting, especially considering you said you'd left it at home. Come on," he stepped aside, motioning for her to come in and closed the door behind her.

"Lucifer?!" She turned her safety back on and holstered her gun, but her eyes were still fully loaded. "What the hell are you doing here?! You were asleep when I left," she shook her head in disbelief, eyeing the man in front of her. He had showered, styled his hair, and under the _Grillmaster_ apron he currently wore, he was perfectly dressed in a new suit that looked suspiciously like the much smaller one still on the chair at the hotel.

"I have my ways. And for the record, I wasn't asleep when you left. No offense, love, but you can't do anything quietly at the moment," he fluttered his eyebrows at her, cautiously reaching out to poke her belly button before she swatted his hand away. "The eggs were past their expiration date, but luckily there was applesauce and the milk was more or less fresh. Coffee cake?"

"What…" Chloe's hands involuntarily formed fists at her sides as she breathed in through her nose and rolled her head back like she always did when he was driving her particularly insane, "what are you _doing_ here, Lucifer?"

"I stopped in to have a look around," he smiled as he slipped on mitts and retrieved the cake out of the oven, watching his wife wander around to take a second look. "There's not much to see though. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I'd wandered into Adrien Monk's flat. It's spotless." His smile faded as he took off the oven mitts and looked at her sternly from across the breakfast bar, "Sorry, did you not think I knew rifling through Peter Johnson's last known residence was on your agenda for our 'babymoon'? I thought we'd discussed this with everyone at the hospital. It's over, Chloe."

"Over? How is this over?" The Detective asked, her voice thin and breathless. "Johnson knew exactly _who_ you were. How? Has he seen your face? Was he stalking you? Was he stalking _us_?" She leaned on the counter across from him, the hurt, confused, scared look in her husband's eyes reflecting her own and breaking her heart, but she couldn't stop. "What about our child? About Trixie? And me? He almost _killed_ ALL of us. Those five moms were a message, I get that. I know it wasn't my fault and I'm not to blame, and neither are you, but I just _need_ to know how he knew what... _who_ you are, okay?"

She looked around the emaculate room, feeling too guilty to make eye contact with him at the moment. "And who knows? Maybe there's more clues here about his little minions. I mean, do you honestly believe he had a whole 'cult' of three people?"

Right as Lucifer was about to protest, heavy footsteps in the hallway stopped and the door started rattling. They both sent wide eyed stares at each other as Chloe retreated toward the counter, her husband making a mad dash to get in front of her, pulling the gun out of her hands and fumbling with it until it pointed toward the door. Its owner went to reach around him and turn off the safety when the intruder showed his face. "Seriously?" she asked, rolling her eyes and putting a hand on her hips, staring at her husband until he lowered the weapon.

"Wait, you _knew_ about this, Luci?" Amenadiel asked, looking more than a little confused as he stepped in and shut the door behind him. "Linda and Maze said not to say anything…"

"Linda and...? I only told Ella…ah," Chloe sighed, shaking her head and waddling another lap around the small living room section of the studio, walking off her annoyance. "Wait, you didn't put your brother up to this?" She asked, glaring at her husband and then her brother-in-law, "Please tell me you're driving a GTO?"

"You stole my GTO?" Lucifer shook his head, eyes wide and questioning in Amenadiel's direction, "First of all, why does everyone think I'm clueless? I knew as soon as she said San Francisco that it had to have _something_ to do with this case. And secondly, isn't it obvious? My brother thinks his nephew is his new test, remember?"

Chloe huffed, reluctantly giving a slight chuckle as she heard the two men bickering like normal, this time covering Lucifer's objections with him coming all the way to northern California to watch over his wife without thinking to let him in on it. It _was_ nice to have the backup and she was, after all, pounding it into Lucifer's head that it was an important element in law enforcement _and_ parenthood and yada yada yada. She rolled her eyes at herself, but something caught her eye and made her hold up her hand. "Guys? Shut up. What's wrong with this picture?"

Of course, Amenadiel was the first to cooperate. He put his hands on his hips and took a second to really look at the apartment. "It looks like a more boring museum than Luci's penthouse."

"Ha. Ha."

"Everything's perfect, right?" Chloe held her hands out, imitating the perfect 90 degree angles of the furniture. "But look at the coffee table. It's not parallel to the couch."

"Told you we were in Monk's flat," Lucifer mumbled, pushing his jacket back and stuffing his hands in his pockets, a quizzical look spreading across his face. "What are you getting at?"

"Amenadiel? If I get down there I'll never get back up…" she backed up from the rug and gave her brother-in-law a pleading look. "I bet you anything there's a secret compartment under there."

The prodigal angel knelt down and shoved the coffee table aside like it was a pillow, folding up the rug to reveal a loose fitting floor board. He smiled back up at Chloe and then to his brother, "She's good."

"She is," he nodded, failing to suppress a smile. Amenadiel tossed the boards aside to uncover a large square floor safe. "Ah, too bad. The Detective here will never let you break that open without a warrant."

"Open it," she said, her eyes gleaming at her husband.

He chuckled proudly, "Why Detective Decker, you little Devil."

"Just channeling my inner Lucifer."

Amenadiel raised an eyebrow, clearly feeling like he was interrupting something, but yanked open the safe. "It's just papers?"

"Bingo!" Lucifer crouched down next to his brother, digging through the books and files, handing several off to Chloe as Amenadiel grabbed for three leather bound books, _Holy Bible_ embossed on the spines of each.

The angel chuckled, cracking one open, but his eyes grew wide, his face backing away from the pages in surprise, "Yeah, that's definitely not what I remember from this chapter…" He turned it around for the others to see, Chloe having taken a seat on the ottoman.

"That's Johnson's handwriting," she pointed out, grabbing the other two and flipping through the pages to find the same thing. "What are these? Journals?"

"Manifestos," Lucifer pointed out.

"Should make for an interesting read," Chloe grimaced, remembering what Ella had said about the shortened, misogynistic version she'd found on the dark web. She shuffled through a few more folders in her now rather crowded lap and stopped at one that put her heart in her throat. "It can't be that simple…"

"What is it?" her husband asked, sitting down on the floor.

She went pale, turning it so he could see. It was red with a white label that just read, _Lucifer_. Pulling out its contents, she found a small stack of ruled notebook paper, at one time having been folded in thirds. "Letters?"

"What do they say?" Amenadiel asked, pausing the dig.

She scanned the first one and thumbed through the rest before answering, both men impatiently waiting on the floor. "They're not signed or dated, they're just...scribbles addressed to Johnson. Notes maybe? The first ones are just talking about you as a nightclub owner but...here's one that describes your um...your Devil face." Her eyebrows rose and she pursed her lips, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth, "Whoever this is says your face looks like burnt Stouffer's lasagna."

Amenadiel snorted, holding his hand out for the papers. She handed them over, but Lucifer quickly ripped them away from him. "Well clearly this person is an unstable twit anyway, but _burnt lasagna_? They have great handwriting for being blind."

Chloe and Amenadiel exchanged an amused glance, but she gasped with a sudden realization, snatching them back away from her husband and taking a picture with her phone. "I know this handwriting. At least I'm pretty sure I do…" she waited for the responding text to come back and showed it to the brothers. It was from Linda and just said, _Reese._ "Did Reese Getty... _know_...about you?"

They both nodded, but Lucifer was the one to speak up first, "He saw me in the interrogation room. I didn't know he was on the other side of the mirror, obviously. I just...he had most everything figured out. He was planning to kill me for sleeping with his wife."

"Ex wife," Amenadiel pointed out quickly.

"His eventually _ex_ wife," he looked up at Chloe, concern shining darkly in his eyes. "I think it drove him mad…"

Chloe exhaled slowly, "So if Linda's ex somehow knew Johnson...maybe through his journalism career and...and the fire...he...I don't know? Reese found someone that would actually listen to him and Johnson ran with it as a way to blame someone for his wife's death?" She flipped through the pages on her lap, her mind racing faster than she could keep track of. She ran a hand down her braid, playing with the end, "So who else would know aside from Roy Gayle and Carl Grady? And do they _actually_ know or were they just...blind followers?"

Amenadiel pulled the last piece of paper out of the safe and handed it to Chloe, "Do cults have dues?"

It was a small list, only seven other names surrounding the three men in custody, but it was enough to put the Detective's mind at ease. "We have names," she breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived.

Lucifer stood up, tearing the page from his wife's hand, his Devil face almost comical with the apron he'd 'borrowed' from Johnson, "What do you say, brother? We have a list," he hissed through his teeth. "Protect your new test, as it were?"

Chloe struggled to get up, but Amenadiel popped stepped between his raging brother and his very pregnant sister-in-law. "Luci, knock it off. What are you doing?"

Finally on her feet, the Devil's wife nudged Amenadiel out of the way, patting his bicep in an unnecessary thanks. "Lucifer, what's going on here? This is a good thing. We give the list to the San Francisco police department and they can monitor the situation. We have...actual names of people to watch out for instead of being suspicious of everyone."

"Or," he growled, his eyes flashing a brighter red than she'd ever seen in him, his chest puffed out so that for a moment even she had to admit she was afraid of what stood in front of her. "Amenadiel and I take the list and fix the situation. Permanently."

"No," she stared right back at him, jaw set firmly as her heart thudded in her ears. "Absolutely not."

Those dark red, sinewy eye sockets squinted at her, his breathing heavy with anger, "It's the only way to be sure, Detective."

"Lucifer," she reached up to caress his face, his skin warm and rough under her touch as she tried to control her voice from shaking. "If you take this log and start hunting down every person on here, I can guarantee you _will_ get caught. If you want to see your son grow up, we give all of this to the SFPD and let them handle the surveillance of these people, okay?" His breathing slowed back down a bit, Amenadiel backing up to give the couple some room. Lucifer tried to interject, but she put her thumb over his scaly lips and held it there.

"You only ever punished _evil_ , remember? Not everyone that drank the kool-aid bought into the life-style, you know? Just give me the list and I'll take a picture for Dan and Maze to work on too. For backup? I have my answers," she shook the stack of letters from Reese in her other hand. "We know the source now, and he's gone. A _demon_ bounty hunter will have eyes on these other people. Grady, Gayle, and Johnson all have pled guilty and if they spout this stuff in prison they'll just end up in solitary. I think...I think we can start to let this go…"

"Chloe."

She sniffled back the tears that threatened to fall and put his free hand on her belly, "As much as I could kill the people responsible for putting my children in harm's way, we _have_ to let the system take care of this one now. We can't let this ruin our lives. No more bloodshed. We need the _real_ _you_ , Lucifer. Not what people think you are. Can we just focus on the happy now. Please? On our angel? Our future?," she begged, growing more and more desperate by the second. "I need _you_ in my future."

His Devil face still fully ignited, he nodded ever so slightly and surrendered the list to the woman in front of him, pulling her closely and kissing her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his torso and got as close to him as she could with their child in the way, but he could feel her shaking. It broke his heart as he pulled away, his vision clearing as his face returned to normal. But she was smiling at him with her big blue eyes shining brightly as she grabbed his cheeks and pulled him down for a kiss.

Amenadiel was admittedly relieved that he wouldn't have to talk his brother out of the hunting trip himself, but also felt completely awkward, making his 6 foot 3 frame as small as possible so as to not ruin the couple's sickeningly sweet moment. Instead, he sauntered over to the pan of coffee cake and sat on the counter to have a piece while he waited it out, laughing to himself as he chewed.

* * *

"You're not any bigger than your sister, just hoarding all those treats, aren't you?" Chloe stood in front of the walk in closet's full length mirror, nervously inspecting her belly in the reflection. She'd printed off the last side profile she'd taken when she was pregnant with Trixie from her MySpace page, glancing between that and the mirror several times before her shoulders drooped in frustration. "Any day now, okay? I know you can hear me," she pleaded, lightly tapping the foot outlined on the top of her belly, holding the picture up and stretching to study them both at the same time. "You've already kept us waiting two days. Do you plan on coming out fully grown?"

After a punch to what she thought might be her pancreas, she tied up her robe and put the picture back in her sock drawer. "Let's go for a walk, Little Man," she sighed, bouncing out to the dimly lit main room of the penthouse as forcefully as she dared, thinking that might pry him loose. Roughly ten laps from the bookshelves to the piano, up the bedroom stairs, around the balcony's hot tub, and past the couch and fireplace later, she stopped at the bar to grab a handful of olives, using the piano for balance to do a few clumsy squats before taking a rest on the bench.

She chuckled, looking at her last olive, absentmindedly playing with her bullet necklace as she held the treat down to her belly. "You've grown a little bit since you shocked the hell out of mommy and daddy." Popping it in her mouth and grinning at the memory of the look on Lucifer's face when she did that to the one she used as a model way back when, she softly started playing the song they danced to at their wedding until she heard a rather loud, proud laugh from the nursery.

Raising an eyebrow, she went to inspect the noise, slowly opening the door to find her husband, ex-husband, and brother-in-law all crowded around the changing table. She covered her mouth as she laughed at the sight, careful not to interrupt whatever it was they were doing. Amenadiel was slightly swaying, an empty beer bottle in his hand, his eyes squinting to focus as he laughed. Dan was in much the same condition, but had a hand on Lucifer's back, gesturing wildly with his other. Her husband, much steadier on his feet than the other two, had his back turned but was obviously busy with something in front of him.

Curiosity got the best of Chloe as she took a step into the room, the carpet warm and soft on her bare feet. The hyper realistic stuffed goat in the corner took her by surprise yet again however, and her little yelp got the attention of all three men.

"Detective?" Lucifer spun around, eyes wide with concern, a loosely diapered teddy bear in his hands.

She shook her head, snorting as the cloth diaper fell to the ground. "I didn't get the invite. What's going on?"

Looking much calmer, Lucifer picked up the diaper and tossed it on the table behind him, gesturing to the cop on his right, "Detective Douche here-"

"Hey."

"Sorry, _Daniel_ was bragging about his diaper relay win at your baby shower."

"Rematch?" Chloe asked, eyes sparkling.

"Luci's...losing…" Amenadiel slurred.

Dan, steadying up just a bit, went over to put an arm around his friend's shoulders, "Come on, Big Guy. Let's go back down to Lux. I need another shot. What about you?"

Amenadiel nodded, stumbling out with his friend, stopping to lightly squeeze Chloe's arm, "Sorry about the goat...Sis."

"All good, Amenadiel," she laughed as they headed out. When she heard the elevator doors shut, she made her way over to her husband, hugging him from behind as he went back to work on the bear. "What are you doing?"

Lucifer chuckled, pausing to pat his wife's arm around his torso. "Why are teddy bears never hungry?"

"Um…?"

"Because they're always stuffed," he responded, completely deadpan, sighing with defeat as he could practically feel Chloe's eyes rolling. "You know, just because nappies were a torture device in Hell doesn't mean I'm the one that put them on."

Chloe stood on tiptoes to kiss his shoulder and nudged him aside to stand next to him, grabbing the toy from his hands. "Okay, first of all...teddy bears don't squirm. Or pee on you when you're trying to change them. Just a heads up," she laughed, laying her head on his arm as he shuttered. "Secondly, cloth diapers are a hassle. Yes they're better for the environment and natural and whatever, but they're not realistic. Trust me." She wadded it up and threw it into the pale yellow hamper, opening the drawer for a tiny diaper and handed it to him. "Try this one. A monkey could do it on a bear."

Lucifer played along as she coached him through the process, watching her as she smiled at his finished result. "What are you doing up? I thought you and Trixie were having a girls' movie night in bed?"

"She's avoiding me again," her smile faded as her fingers nervously tapped the padding on the table. "Ever since she got back from Vegas with Dan and Maze, she's locked herself in her room. I'm not even hearing her guitar anymore. She hasn't touched the piano. Should...should I see if maybe Linda could talk to her?"

The girl's step dad pursed his lips knowingly, "She took her to lunch yesterday, Detective. I promise you your spawn is just fine."

"Of course _you_ can say that. She lets _you_ in her room," she huffed, folding her arms over her belly. "I thought you had it all straightened out. She was fine with the baby after you talked to her, she's not having nightmares about the fire much anymore because of you guys reading that _Hitchhiker's Guide to_ whatever book at night. She doesn't need _me_ anymore. Just her Lucifer."

He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head, "That is _not_ the case. She's fine. But that doesn't excuse you for not being in bed." He paused, rubbing his big hands up and down her arms, "Wait, why are you all sweaty? Are you having pains? You alright?"

"Squats." Chloe sighed, "I wish. Your french fries made with castor oil didn't work. Creative though."

"The peppers? Pineapple?" He reached up, lightly pinching her nipple as he smiled devilishly, "Did you try stimulating these?"

She swatted his hand away, wincing, "I even tried pumping again. Nothing."

"Without me," he whined, winking.

Chloe smacked his chest, shaking her head at him, "Nothing. Just a couple little twinges, but nothing strong enough or regular enough to think it's going anywhere. Are we _sure_ an angel has the same gestation period, because forty weeks has come and gone."

Lucifer smiled sympathetically, pulling her in to rub her back, resting his cheek on her head. "I wish I knew. I hate to see you so uncomfortable. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It's not _totally_ your fault," she sighed, melting into his chest as he gently rocked them side to side. "I feel awful complaining since...well...you know. I just feel ginormous and gross and I want to meet my little Lucifer."

"We're not naming him Lucifer either."

"Fine. But will you still love me when he comes? Even when I'm a giant, deflated, milk oozing balloon?"

He chuckled, running his fingers through her hair, "For as long as our forever shall be, Mrs. Morningstar." They just held each other close, Lucifer's stomach tying itself in knots as he looked around the room. "You know...I found some things on Pinterest we could try. I'm sure your spawn is asleep by now. Say the word and I'll go put the magic headphones on her."

Chloe stopped their swaying and looked up at her husband with tired eyes and shrugged, "Go."

"Right. You _could_ sound a little more excited just there, Detective..."

* * *

Lucifer hadn't even opened his eyes yet before a smile spread across his face and a deep, sexy growl reverberated up the back of his throat, "Detective, you little minx." Her perfectly peachlike bum pressed tightly into his groin as she moaned, sending shock waves up from his toes. "Three times last night and already again this morning? Okay, but I _am_ starting to feel a bit like a piece of meat."

She swatted his hand from where it was inching down her belly to slip between her legs, "Not today Satan."

"How long have you been holding onto that one?" he asked dryly.

"Sorry."

"Mmm...I said I was feeling used, Mrs. Morningstar. I didn't say I was complaining. But now that we're both up. Or I am anyway. What do you say?" He finally opened his eyes and saw her back arching away from him as she bit her lip. "Wait, Detective? Chloe?"

"It's fine…" she assured him, starting to relax and ease away from him. "My back's just really really _really_ tight. Here," she reached over to her nightstand and handed him her phone.

Now fully awake, but feeling a little dazed as he fumbled with her password, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and blinked at the brightness of the screen. It was almost painful compared to the dim sunlight starting to make its way into the penthouse. "C...call Miss Lopez?" he stuttered.

"No," she retorted, sounding annoyed. "Just text our group chat and let them know to be on standby. This is how it started with Trixie too. It's going to be hours before they need to be here."

"You're sure?" he asked as he cooperated for once and sent the text, his own phone vibrating on the nightstand.

She nodded, looking back at him with a nervous smile, holding out her hand for her phone, "Get some sleep. It's the last we'll have for a while."

"Like I could sleep now," he sighed, curling up around her, moving her hair to kiss her neck and running his fingertips from her shoulder down to her knees as his heart thudded in his throat. "Today's the day, huh?"

"Today's the day," she whispered, eyes closed, noticeably gripping onto his forearm under her head just a little bit tighter than usual.

The day had been about as normal as any day could be, living with a ticking time bomb. By six o'clock, Lucifer's nerves were almost completely shattered and though he meant well, rushing to her side every time Chloe so much as winced, it had finally gotten on her last nerve and he was banished down to Lux for the time being. After making sure they'd be fine without him for the next few days, not that the staff had ever really noticed his prolonged absences before, he sat at the bar, nursing the same two fingers of top shelf bourbon that he'd been sipping for the last hour.

"Nice to see your reading level has improved from _Playboy_ , brother." Amenadiel chuckled, taking a seat beside him and pointing to the worn copy of _What to Expect_. He leaned over to really look at the pages he had open and grimaced, "Or not. What are you doing down here? I heard Chloe was in labor." Lucifer's phone buzzed, lighting up for a new text from Trixie. In their tradition, it was an emoji, this one with a worried look on it's yellow sphere. "Luci?"

"She called me annoying and said she needed some alone time with her spawn," he scrolled through the conversation, taking a sip of his drink as his brother smirked. "So, I have the Urchin texting me every time she has a contraction. So far they're about ten minutes apart."

"Ah," he nodded to the bartender in thanks as he was handed a beer. "Studying?"

Lucifer sighed in defeat, "I've been around since very soon after the dawn of time. I have ruled over Hell and punished the worst the world has ever had to offer, and I still don't think I have ever been less prepared. Do with that what you will."

"Well, you're not doing it alone," the angel smiled, putting a hand on his back and looking surprised when he wasn't shrugged off. "She's already done an excellent job with the daughter she has. I have a feeling your son will turn out just as great as that little spitfire."

The Devil shook his head, his heart palpitating, "That's just it. This...this child is half me. You're living with the woman that can tell you what a nightmare that is."

"I can't get her to spill any of the good stuff about you, Luci. Besides, we grew up with the same father and, as much as I focused on pleasing Him, I can see why you do some of the things you do. The way you react to certain things. You're nothing but good with Chloe and Trixie, though." Amenadiel laughed, "You'll teach your son right and wrong and how to his hide 'skin mags' from Chloe when he's a teenager like any other dad would. Have some faith in yourself."

"Skin mags?" Lucifer snorted, clearly trying not to let him see how touched he was, "Am I raising my son in the 70s?"

"You're getting another text," his brother nodded. "No wait, let me guess this one. She's...waving?"

"No, there's an emoji for that. Keep up with the times. No that's...ocean? Surfing?"

"Water?"

"Water…" The dad to be's stomach dropped as he jumped out away from the stool so fast it toppled over, "Shit." He paused long enough to grab the book and down his drink before running up the club stairs three at a time, pulling out his phone and dialing as he called down to his brother, "Her water broke!"

The entire club went silent except for the loud music coming from the speakers. "Oooooh," Amenadiel nodded, impressed by their code and raised his bottle to the closing elevator doors. "Good luck, brother."

In the elevator, Lucifer pulled out his keycard and jammed at the buttons, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic and a bit like he was in quicksand as the car rose and the call connected. "Deou-Daniel. You need to come pick up your spawn and bring Maze. Quickly!" He didn't wait for a response before he hung up and called Ella and Linda with very similar messages, all before the doors opened to his home.

Chloe was leaning on the couch, wiping up the mess on the floor with a towel at her feet. He dropped off the book at the piano, ran over to grab her hand, wrapped an arm around her waist, and hastily started guiding her to the bedroom. "Um...what are you doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at a giggling Trixie coming from the kitchen.

"I'm getting you to bed, Detective. There's not much time. The brat will go boil some water and grab some towels. Hopefully the ladies will get here in time, but if not ...what _is_ the water used for?"

"Okay, breathe. Please," she laughed, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I mopped up everything over there the best I could, but I can't exactly bend over to grab the towel and I don't want Trixie to have to deal with the um…" she looked over to her daughter and back at him, mouthing, "fluids."

"You CAN say 'amniotic fluid' in front of me."

She pursed her lips, looking back at her husband. "You want to help? You can put it in the hamper for me."

Lucifer's eyes grew wide, "Chloe, this is serious."

"So am I," she smiled. "I'm gonna go change out of these shorts and you're going to pick up. The tribe's on their way. It'll be fine. It's not Hollywood, Lucifer. We _do_ still have a while."

"Well technically, it _is_ Hollywood. Sort of…" The adrenaline wearing off, he reached a hand out to the Assyerian stone wall to steady himself, glaring over at Trixie. "What are you laughing at?"

She shrugged, her eyes shining, until a loud, low moan came from the closet. "Mommy?" She jumped up and ran with him to the woman, hunched over the dresser, a white sundress half pulled over her head. Lucifer rubbed his wife's back, pulling the dress the rest of the way down and moved the hair that fell in her face. "Are...you okay?" she asked, her little lip trembling, those big brown eyes looking just as worried as her stepdad's.

Chloe nodded, breathing slowly as her body began to relax, "I'm okay Monkey. Is your dad coming?"

"He's on his way," Lucifer answered for her, his eyes soft as he rubbed her arms. "Bed?"

"No, I need to walk around some more. We're still at ten minutes. It's fine. We're good."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself."

She shrugged, finally able to stand most of the way back up. "I might be."

He squeezed her hand, looking at the little girl on the chair in the corner, "Did you get that thing finished?"

"I did!" She squealed, no obvious lasting damage from the trauma of seeing her mom in labor. "Be right back!"

"Come on," Lucifer held his arm out to Chloe, still trying to catch her breath, and helped her out to the couch.

Trixie came bounding up the stairs from the hallway with a package wrapped in black paper with a blue ribbon expertly tied around both sides. "Here you go Mom! This is kind of why I've been ignoring you…" she handed it to her with a massive, proud grin on her face.

"Aww, Monkey? What is it?" her mom smiled, shifting uncomfortably on the couch as her husband put his arm around her. Trixie just nodded toward it expectantly until she opened it. What she saw completely took her breath away and blurred her vision as she blinked away the tears, "Trixie…?" It was a glass display case with a perfect likeness of the patrol car she grew up with in her parents' driveway on one side, and her dad's badge, a little worse for wear on the other.

"Told you she wasn't doing anything deviant," Lucifer whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

"There's another shelf for the baby's room that goes with that, but Lucifer thought you'd probably want it close by today," she winked at her stepdad who smiled back at her proudly. "Dad said the demolition guys found Grandpa's badge under a safe, so it's a little bent, but he saved it. And we found the kit for the model in Vegas. Grandma had some old pictures so I could paint it just right. The license plate is the same too!"

Chloe grabbed the tissue Lucifer offered with a teasing smile, tears running down her cheeks. "You did this all by yourself? It's perfect."

"I did."

She handed it to her husband and held her little girl in her arms as closely as she could as he went to set it on her nightstand. "And Lucifer wants you to be a rockstar," she chuckled, running her fingers through her thick dark hair.

"Oh I'm _gonna_ be a rockstar, mom." She pulled away, giving Chloe a matter-of-fact stare. "But I'm also going to be a scientist like Ella. And an astronaut. _And_ the first president of Mars."

Chloe cupped her little face in her hand, pulling it to hers and kissed her forehead, "And you know what, babygirl? I think you'll do every single one of those things. Just um…" she pursed her lips as she felt another contraction grip her midsection, the nerves, emotions, and stress of the last nine months finally coming to a head, "just promise me one thing, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't you ever, _ever_ change, got it? For anyone. Because I love you so much exactly the way you are."

"Mom?" She asked, tilting her head, "I thought you said we didn't have to pretend with each other."

"We don't."

"Then why are you pretending everything's okay, when I know you're scared? You're going to be alright, aren't you?"

"I hope so, Monkey," Chloe smiled, trying her hardest not to let the pain show on her face as all she really wanted to do was grip the couch and scream it out. "Is your bag all packed?" Trixie nodded, reaching up to give her mom a kiss on the cheek before she went to her room to grab it.

Lucifer came back from the bedroom, looking at his watch and eyeing his wife knowingly, "Another one?"

She nodded, laying down to curl up in a loose ball on the Italian leather. "What are we at?"

"About nine minutes," he kneeled down in front of her as she squeezed his hand and kissed her knuckles. "Sorry, am I hovering again?" he chuckled nervously.

She opened one eye, her face slowly un-scrunching, "Shut up."

"Whatever you say, love." Just then, the elevator pinged and in walked Dan and Maze, the demon tucking her keycard back in her leather tube top and plopping her bag down with an oddly metallic sounding thud. "That was fast, especially for you, Daniel. Well..." He smirked, getting up when Chloe let go of his hand and was quickly replaced by his oldest friend, now that they were back on speaking terms.

"We were at the _Hard Rock_ down the street," Dan skipped the jibe and motioned for Lucifer to join him by the bar. Noticing the man looked back at his ex like he couldn't bare to be more than a few steps away from her, he smiled understandingly and gently pulled him over. "How're _you_ holding up?"

Lucifer sighed, watching Maze of all people, or demons rather, talk softly to her friend and help her up as the contraction passed. "Feeling quite helpless actually," he smiled sadly.

"Yep," Dan nodded. "Look uh...she's tough. You know that. She _did_ get a little mean when she was going through this with Trixie though, so you might want to wear a cup." He laughed, punching the man lightly in the arm as he rolled his eyes, " _But_ as soon as they handed Trixie to her, she was back to being Chloe again, so don't stress too much."

"Daddy!" Trixie sat her bags by the elevator and gave him a quick hug before saying hi to her best friend and giving her mom a hug and kiss goodbye. She came over to hug Lucifer around the waist and squeezed him tight, looking up at him with that _almost_ threatening brow furrow of her mother's as Dan went to wish his ex luck, "You promise to text me as soon as my brother's born, capiche?"

"Capiche. Remember our deal."

"It's remembered." She winked, waving to her mom one last time and joining her dad in the elevator.

"Luck, man!" Dan nodded to his friend, messing up his kid's hair and asking if her mom liked her gift as the doors closed.

Ella and Linda finally showed up together at half past eight, having been stuck it what was probably the worst, longest traffic jam of the summer. Chloe's contractions were coming every seven minutes, had become a lot stronger, and she'd already taken several jabs at Lucifer's unwillingness to use a condom, his 'weak pullout game' as she called it, and just Lucifer's Luciferness in general. He was looking a bit disheveled, having ditched his jacket, the rest wrinkled from her gripping at his vest and squeezing his arms while he held her through every contraction. For the most part, he wasn't letting what she said while in so much pain get to him.

Maze, however was absolutely loving the show and giggled proudly through all of Chloe's digs at him, causing him to glare at her more than a couple times. When Ella came in and took charge, chipperly barking orders at her, Maze rolled her eyes, but begrudgingly did what she was told and stripped the bed with Linda. They remade it with an old plaid fitted sheet over a plastic shower curtain Ella had brought in her suitcase, scattered it with pillows, and stocked the top of the dresser with towels, clamps, a pair of surgical scissors, and the soft blue baby blanket Fitz had made for Chloe's baby shower.

In the living room, the poor Detective was whimpering through another contraction in her husband's arms, swaying slowly back and forth, digging her face into his chest as he played with her hair. He swallowed hard as his heart squeezed tighter than she did, her whimper becoming a low growl as she struggled to breathe. He looked pleadingly at Ella, her poker face failing as she rubbed her friends back until her grip loosened and she slowly stepped away. She took a shaky, audible breath as she rubbed her legs, on the verge of tears, "It's in my thighs too."

"I know babe. It sucks," Ella smiled at her sympathetically, easing her onto the couch, "I mean I don't _know_ but...you know what I mean. Let's check how close you are, okay?"

Chloe nodded, her brow still pulled in tight as she reached for her husband's hand, watching his beautiful, worried face as her friend did the exam. " _You_ okay?" she asked, trying to sound like the strong one.

He chuckled, squeezing her hand comfortingly, "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Ha," she rolled her eyes, "let's get this kid out first before you start telling me things like that."

"Five centimeters. Halfway there," Ella pulled off her glove, patting her friend's leg and moving her sundress back down. "Little different without an epidural?"

"Hurts a little more than I thought it would," she laughed, trying to ease her own tension, but her voice still shook. "Baby okay?"

The midwife grabbed the doppler off the coffee table and moved it around on Chloe's bump until a nice strong heartbeat made everyone breathe a sigh of relief, "Little Dude's just fine. We'll check again on the next contraction though."

"Kay," she nodded, visibly bracing herself for the next wave of pain. "Help me up? I want to walk around some more…"

Lucifer and Ella got her to a standing position, but her husband reluctantly gave up his spot to the therapist, promising to be back momentarily as he snuck off to the bathroom. Ella went to make sure she had everything she needed in her bag, and Maze was in the kitchen grabbing a round of Green Tea Coconut Waters, so Linda took both of her hands and in true tribal sister fashion, tried to make her friend laugh with as deep a voice as she could muster. "Care to dance, madam?"

Already looking exhausted, Chloe smiled and winked, using her most falsetto, southern belle voice, "Why Dr. Martin, I'm married. But I guess." She shrugged, laughing as she wrapped her arms around her friend's waist and laid her head on her shoulder as they started swaying. "I've been awfully rough on Lucifer today…"

"Seriously?" Linda chuckled, "I think he's okay, Chloe. Don't worry about that. You're the one you should be thinking about today. Of all days."

"I know, but he's been so sweet through this whole thing, and he seems so excited. And I know he loves me, and I love him, but when…" she had to pause, feeling a rather large twinge that only meant the next contraction was imminent. "Ugh…when I see his face I just….ow...I just kinda want to rip his nose off, ya know?"

"Okay, oww…" Linda cringed, her friend digging her nails into her sides as she doubled over, "I know. I know _exactly_ how that goes. But...he's fine. He's been called a lot...lot worse," she carefully released her friends grip and held her hands again, not so sure that was such a wise idea as Chloe's wedding ring now felt like it was going to break her fingers. "Breathe Chloe. Just breathe. Come on, in through the nose, out through the mouth."

"Uuuuuugh," she groaned, hanging onto her friend for dear life with one hand, the other desperately rubbing the side of her belly like it would make the baby come out faster. Lucifer and Ella both running back to her, her husband holding her as best he could, rubbing her neck as she moaned, "Oh my God, owwww!"

"Shhhh, you're doing good Chlo. Breathe for me," Ella squatted in front of her, out of the way of the other two and checked the baby's heart rate again. "Still good, mama. He's being nice and patient."

"God, I don't want to hear _that_ ," Chloe whined, the contraction still fully clenching her belly. Feeling a slight pang of guilt, she looked at her husband, "Sorry."

"No no," he gave her an encouraging smile, "Dad is more than welcome to the blame on this one. He's the genius that designed women with the delightful entrance and impossible exit," he fluttered his eyebrows at her, having expected to at least get a smile out of her for his terrible joke, but he was met with an angry look of betrayal instead.

"Oh my God…" she panted, the pain easing enough so she could speak, though it still came out strained and breathless, "No. No this _is_ your fault, isn't it? Your the one that gave Eve that fucking apple aren't you?"

"Uh...Chloe?" Linda squeezed her arm gently, taking note of the rapidly changing expression in her favorite patient's eyes as they went from worried to the most pitiful shade of hurt she'd ever seen from him.

"Chloe, I…?" his hand fell from her back as he stepped away, "I'm…" he cleared his throat, his eyes filling with unshed tears.

"Lucifer!" Linda called after him as he headed to the elevator, rubbing Chloe's arms as she started crying from the guilt written all over her face. Ella had run down to her car for something, so she called over the demon, just coming back with the tray of coconut waters, "Maze. Take over. Chloe? It's going to be fine. Just relax. He's not used to watching someone he cares about so deeply in pain, okay? I'll go find him."

Maze looked a little taken aback by the tears, but held her friend close, "So...where's Lucifer?" she asked, regretting it instantly.

Linda paced back and forth on the elevator, trying to decide where he could have gone, choosing to start at the top and work her way down. She hit the button for the rec room, one floor down, and could have jumped for joy when she saw the man she was after, kneeling by the penthouse's other hot tub, his hand in the water. "Lucifer, _what_ is going on?" She asked as forcefully as she dared. "Chloe is in _labor_. She's going to say things she doesn't mea-"

She stopped when he looked up at her, tears on his cheeks. "She's right, you know. I gave her the apple. _Eve_ ," he snarled. "I didn't even like her, she was just something to mess with. Something to do. I...I…"

"Lucifer, this isn't your-"

"It _is_ my fault, Linda. My wife is in agony because I gave some bimbo an apple thousands of years ago and my dear old dad decided to punish _her_ for my boredom. I did this. I'm...I _am_ the monster that did this to my Chloe. To _every_ woman that's ever gone through this. They have to suffer because of ME," he screamed, getting up and shaking the water off his hand.

"I thought it was the clothes and realizing they were naked thing that led to the painful childbirth?" she frowned, trying to remember her last Sunday school class from many, many decades ago. "Lucifer, you are _not_ a monster," she sighed, making him take a seat in the lounge chair between the pool and the hot tub. When he started to protest, she gave him a stern look and held up her finger, "Eve was already...what? _Designed_ when you gave her the apple, right? How exactly would God have made it any easier for Cain or Abel to get out after Adam knocked her up?" She noticed him snarl at the mention of Cain, but kept going, "It's just basic anatomy. What's the saying about a camel and the eye of a needle?"

Lucifer huffed, "That's for a rich man to get into Heaven."

"Well it feels the same, trust me. You're not a _monster_ , you're a _dad_. And dads have been going through this since they've been allowed in the delivery rooms. It's just a part of life. Babies are a whole lot of fun to put in and really really suck to get out, but you know what? As soon as she sees your son, she's going to forget about every single ounce of pain he caused and there won't be a trace of blame left on you. I promise."

She finally put her hand down, the man's breathing having calmed. "You alright?" she asked, sounding like a coach telling her player to shake it off. He gave her a slight nod, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve, manly as ever. "Being a verbal...sometimes physical punching bag for a few hours is a small price for all the fun you'll have seeing the world for the first time again through your little boy's eyes. And Chloe's such a badass. She hasn't hardly made any noise." Linda chuckled, "Let me tell you, I screamed so much during labor that my voice was gone for a week."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, "Wait, you and Reese had children? How did I never-?"

"No. Thank your dad," she shook her head, a sad, reminiscing smile on her lips. "I gave my little girl up for adoption when I was fourteen. The letter I received from her family last Christmas said she finished her surgical residency at Johns Hopkins, specializing in neuro so...you could say we both ended up with better lives by going our separate ways. Not um...not unlike you and _your_ mom." At the man's stunned eyes, her smile turned mischievous, "There's a lot you don't know about me, Lucifer Morningstar. You didn't think I became a therapist because I had a wonderful childhood, did you?"

"I never would've…" he trailed off, speechless.

"Only something I tell my closest friends. Amenadiel doesn't even know yet. But," she slapped his knee, standing up. "Your wife really needs you right now, so I suggest we head back up and-"

As Lucifer stood up, the elevator doors opened to reveal a very apologetic looking Chloe, her arms looped through both Maze and Ella's. The midwife had her bag in her other arm and the demon carried Trixie's Scrabble game. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of his wife in her red bikini, her blue robe draped loosely around her shoulders.

"You did turn down the hot tub last week, right?" Ella asked her friend, "Cause otherwise making her change and dragging her all the way down here would've been kinda mean…"

"I was just checking it, actually. It's warm, but not too hot," Lucifer took over for the women, stopping to kiss his wife sweetly on the lips as they went for the table. "Chloe I am so sorry you have to go through all of this because of….of me...as the father."

"I'm sorry I've been such a royal bitch today," she smiled against his lips. "If they say it makes this easier, I might as well try _some_ of my labor in there, right?" She shrugged, waddling off to the hot tub, her husband never letting go of her until she was safely in the water.

Maze and Linda set the boardgame up to pass the time, but Ella watched the scene in front of her with a goofy grin on her face. Lucifer rolled up his sleeves and wadded up a couple towels to put down as padding on the hard seats before he let Chloe kneel on them, wadding another up for her elbows. He even took one of her hair ties off his wrist and put her hair up in a surprisingly good sloppy bun to get it out of her face and up out of the water. He kissed her nose and laid down on the tile in front of her, holding her hands and leaning his elbows on the towel with hers, smiling encouragingly at her as she relaxed, letting the warm water soothe her aching muscles.

"You alright there, Ellen?" Maze asked, using what had become her pet name for the lab tech.

"It's just funny," her voice cracked. "Thirteen years of Catholic school and _that_ is what I was taught to fear…"

Linda reached over to squeeze her hand while Maze just shrugged off the comment. "So...why not just use the hot tub upstairs?"

"Mr. Evil there didn't want his wife to have to be out in the sun if this all went down in the daylight," Ella laughed. "Now, are we playing in English or Klingon? Cause I'm whooping both of your butts in Klingon."

By a quarter to midnight, the tribe had switched to dirty words Scrabble and Chloe was inching closer and closer to her breaking point. Linda and Maze were taking shifts to help Lucifer comfort her through the ever strengthening contractions and Ella was now spending a majority of her time right alongside him on her stomach, monitoring mom and baby's vitals.

"Uuugh, how much longer?" Chloe wiggled in her spot, holding her breath, her wedding ring causing possible permanent damage to Lucifer's hand.

He didn't flinch at the pressure, barely blinking as tired, dark circles started to form above his cheek bones, "Breathe for me, Chloe. You can do it. You're doing great, love."

"That's gotta be eight," Ella sighed, pulling her hand out of the water and emptying the glove. "Two more. You got this, Mama Decker."

She clenched her eyes shut, leaning her forehead to her husband's, choking back a sob as tears squeezed out through her lashes, "I can't. I can't do this. I shouldn't have done this at home. You were right. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

"Hey hey hey, no. Shhh, yes you can. Yes you can. He's almost here," he turned his head just enough to look at Ella, searching her face for answer as to what he could do.

"Distract her. Be...you," she winked.

"Your dream home. What...what do you desire more than anything else in the world for your dream home?" He stuttered, "I need ideas for the builders."

"Really? Blueprints? NOW?"

"Got anywhere else to be?" he chuckled, trying his damndest to put even the smallest smile on her face. "Whatever you want in this world is yours, my love."

"I like...the penthouse," she huffed.

"But our child needs a yard to play in, doesn't he? And Trixie's been asking about a dog now that she's over the whole goat notion. Anything."

"Separate...beds!" she screamed through her teeth, flinching violently up onto her feet, almost dragging Lucifer into the water with her. "Owwww owww owww oww! Ella!" She screamed, doubling in on herself, visibly bearing down hard, "HNNNNNNGGGGG!"

Ella popped up like a daisy while Lucifer stumbled to his feet less than gracefully, "I'm here, I'm here! Breathe!"

"I have to push! I have to push!"

"Okay! Okay, that's great! That means you're almost done. Uhh…" Ella ran over for her bag, the other two coming back over with her as Lucifer looked like he was about to pass out. "Are we staying down here? I mean, water births are a lot less messy. Easy transition from the womb to the world and all that hippy dippy...stuff?"

"No," Chloe panted, still partially standing up in the water. "No. Please? I need to get upstairs. I want my bed," she broke into tears from exhaustion as Lucifer helped her gingerly step out of the water, picking her up ever so gently and easing her back down on shaky legs as Linda quickly dried her off with a big white fluffy towel. She barely had time to catch her breath before another wave of pain and unbearable pressure made her dig her nails into Lucifer's biceps enough to make even the Devil cringe.

Ella shook her head, giving her a sympathetic smile, "Chloe I really don't think there's enough time. These loungers have a ton of padding on them though. They'd be comfy. Ish."

"No. I need my bed. It's...nghhhgh...it's the place I feel safest...with my husband. If anything happens, I want...I want to be in my bed...with Lucifer. I just…"

Lucifer's heart tore in half at the tough-as-nails Detective's scared words, picking her up to cradle her in his arms. "Meet us upstairs," he swallowed hard, unfurling his wings as Chloe struggled, laying her against the pillows on their bed just seconds later as his wings retracted into his back. "Shhh love. Don't push. Not yet."

"I can't...stop!" she seethed, her cheeks puffing with the exertion, her face reddening from lack of oxygen as she almost crushed Lucifer's hand.

"Chloe, stop. Please. You have to wait. Miss Lopez will be up here any second. Breathe for me darling, just breathe." He kept looking back at the elevator, but there was nothing. "The time you need her to pop up out of thin air, she's nowhere to be seen," he growled, moving to let go of his wife's hand with the intention of inspecting the elevator buttons.

"Don't you dare leave me!" she screamed in a panic, pulling him back.

He felt like he was going to throw up, but kicked off his shoes and took a seat on the bed, "Chloe, I can't do this. I have to get Ella. She's the one that knows what she's doing. She's-"

"Hhhhhhhnnnnngggggg," Chloe reached back with her other hand to grip the headboard, her face showing all of her exertion. "I think he's….pulling himself….ouuuuuuut!"

Lucifer panicked, untying both sides of her red swimsuit bottoms with a shaky hand, shimmying it out from under her before he realized what he was looking at. "Oh my God," he suddenly went very green around the gills, seeing what looked to be a small grapefruit sized patch of brand new flesh, complete with thick, matted, slimy dark hair as Chloe reached down to grab her ankle for leverage, putting all her might into the effort. "Oh God…"

"Shut...UP!" she yelled, her head digging into the pillow as her back arched, the grapefruit somehow getting bigger before she had to back off to recollect herself. "What kind of Devil are you? Buck up and help me!"

"The…" he grimaced, "the kind that's never seen a person coming out of his favorite human before, I…oh God…"

"Shut up about your stupid dad!" she let go of his hand, covering her eyes as she puffed her cheeks again, regaining her grip on her ankle. She pushed long and hard, a high pitched scream coming out at the same time as a painful gasp. Suddenly, the most beautiful little squished up face the Devil had ever seen grazed the bed as he moved her other leg closer to him. Chloe was finally able to really catch her breath, and reached a hand down to feel the tiny head, a partially relieved smile on her face.

"Oooooh, Miss Lopez, where aaaaaare you….?" Lucifer asked, partly singing, partly trying to save face and not break down into tears himself.

Chloe shook her head, squeezing his shoulder, "Don't worry about her. You got this. You're the asshole that watched a whole season of _Call the Midwife_ without me." She tried to laugh, but it ended up as more of a high pitched whimper as the baby started to turn.

"What...do...do I...do I pull? I…?"

"No! Don't pull. Don't pull, just….ugh...just check for the cord. Make sure it's not around his neck."

He did just that, only cringing slightly at the goo, breathing a sigh of relief when it wasn't there, "No...no cord."

Chloe nodded, already holding her breath, grabbing her husband's bicep with both hands as she psyched herself up enough to do what had to be done, "Hope you're ready."

Lucifer laughed nervously, his eyes wide and shining as he leaned down to kiss her hand while she pushed with every last ounce of effort. He reached down as she groaned, the first shoulder popping out. "You're doing it Chloe!" he cheered through the tears over her scream.

After three tries, Maze finally kicked in the door to the back stairs, "Yo Lucifer! Your keycards are defecti-!"

"Shh!" Ella put up her hand, "Do you hear that?" she asked, straining her ears as she crossed the kitchen, realization finally sinking in as she took off in a dead sprint. "No! No no no! We missed it! Chloe, I'm so sorry!"

The three ladies all froze when they saw the horrified look on Lucifer's face as he stepped down from the stairs of the bedroom, blood and the general goo of childbirth on his vest and shirt. "I...I didn't pull…I just...I just caught him and...and...what have I done?" He looked at Ella with tears in his eyes, "What have I done to my son?"

Her heart felt like it should be sinking through the floor, but his reaction didn't make sense to her. She could hear the loud, gurgling cry of a brand new, healthy baby in the next room, Chloe's happy sobs right along with it. Her brow furrowed as she ran by him, gently pushing through him and the piano, grabbing for a towel and the suction bulb from the dresser on her way to the bed. Happy tears blurred her own vision as she saw her best friend cuddling a perfectly pink, though slimy little baby, the cord still attached as it wailed with a wonderfully formed set of lungs.

"You did it!" she smiled, knowing her apologies didn't much matter at this point, and covered up the squirming little boy with the towel, getting to work on making sure both mom and baby were happy and healthy. She expertly suctioned out his tiny little nose and mouth first while he cuddled up to his mom's chest before gently drying him off with the towel.

"He's perfect," Chloe cried, kissing his greasy little head. He was smaller than they were expecting, but unless Lucifer could see something that neither of them could, the mom's relieved joy made the situation in the living room all the more confusing. She almost asked as she gently flipped her tiny patient over, but right as she went to dry off his little belly, it became oh so obvious what his panic was about.

"Oh!" her jaw dropped, and her mouth curled into a shocked smile as she tried not to giggle too loudly at the Devil's expense, "Uh...h...hey Chloe?"


	13. Dad

_Alright, I'm already welling up a bit! Here it is everyone, the final chapter of A Doting Devil. I know you're all anxiously waiting to see why Lucifer is so freaked out over his kid, so I'll leave you to it. :)_

Chapter 13:

Dad

"Lucifer?" Linda cautiously handed the man a clean towel from the couch, doing her best to hide her befuddlement as she guided him over to the piano bench. "W...what happened? He sounds just fine. They both do."

His skin was pale and glowing from the thin layer of nervous sweat, his breathing jumpy as he wrung his hands in the towel, "I don't _know_ , Doctor. I don't… I don't know. I didn't...pull. I didn't...I...I…"

"Okay, shhh…" the therapist sat down next to him and started rubbing his back, Maze replacing the towel with a glass of whiskey. Linda glared at her for a moment, but moved on when the demon backed up enough to peek into the bedroom, shrugging back at her. "Talk to me. It's okay. That's...that's just where babies come from…" she had to purse her lips to keep from grinning as realization struck her as to what could have shaken him so deeply.

"No!" He hissed, his eyes on the verge of crimson, "No, it's...it's...his...why? Why does everyone I love have to suffer because of me?!"

"Oooooooh," Linda nodded, again thinking she'd pinpointed his anguish. "We talked about this. She won't blame you now that it's over. She's okay. She'll recover. _That_ will too," she winked, nudging him in the arm with her elbow in hopes to realign his mood.

"She won't _blame_ me?!" Lucifer shot up from where he was sitting and threw the glass, narrowly missing Maze. "What about _my son_? How do I explain that his own father _mutilated_ him when he's...when he's…?"

Linda's heart went to her throat as he choked, seeing her friend like this when it was supposed to be the best day of his long, long life. "I don't...I don't understand…" she shook her head, completely lost for words. "Tell me what happ-"

"Lucifer, get your tailless little Devil butt back in here!" Ella called from the bedroom, loud enough that she could be heard now that the baby was starting to settle down, but not so loud as to hurt the brand new set of ears.

The father's lip quivered as he shook his head, "What do I _say_ to them?"

"I think you just need to go be with your family, Lucifer," Linda smiled, Ella's audible grin putting her mind at ease as she pushed him toward the bedroom, less gracefully this time.

He swallowed hard, his legs numb as he stumbled up the steps into the dimly lit room, "Chloe, I'm so sorry, I-" He froze in an overwhelming sense of confusion as his heart skipped a beat at the scene before him. His wife leaned back into the pillows, her face still pink from all of her hard work, her messy bun went every which way, and there were tears on her cheeks. But she was smiling from ear to ear as she looked up at him, cradling the squirming little bundle to her chest. "He's...he's okay?" he was finally able to whisper. "Even after I...m...mutilated...he's…"

"Mutilated?" Ella raised an amused eyebrow, her tongue on her bright white teeth, failing to control her grin, "I'm surprised too and I have to admit, I've looked everywhere for a tiny severed penis, but I can assure you, you did not accidentally castrate your son."

His knees shook and his stomach churned, running through every possibility, each one more horrifying than the last, "Then where…?"

"Nowhere. I was right the whole time." Chloe chuckled, rolling her eyes as the happy tears started flowing again, "Lucifer, we have a daughter."

Linda and Maze both reached out a hand to keep the father from falling backwards down the steps. "Wh...what?" he asked in a croak somewhere between relief and shock. "He's a...a…"

"He's a _she_ , Daddy. Here," Ella jumped up from where she'd been working at the foot of the bed and handed him the surgical scissors. "Between the clamps. I won't let you cut off anything you shouldn't, but you need to do the honors."

He nodded ever so slightly as the midwife led him over to the bed so he could cut the cord exactly where he was told. His hand still shook as he gave the scissors back to his friend and, after a reassuring smile from Chloe, wrapped the mother of his child in his arms and touched his baby girl's tiny hand for the very first time. She blinked up at him with her big blue eyes as her soft little fingers grabbed onto his.

That was all it took to take the Devil's breath away and send him head over heels in love.

"Hello there," he whispered, trying to blink back the tears that fogged his vision. It was useless.

"Are you mad?" Chloe asked, her tone heartbreakingly serious.

"What?" he shook his head, still dazed as every emotion in the book ran through his mind and squeezed his heart. He kissed her temple and very gently caressed the back of his daughter's hand with his thumb, "No, Detective. I think the right word would be terrified."

Chloe grinned, a teasing sparkle in her tired eyes, "That she'll form a more organized rebellion against you than a son ever could?"

"No," Lucifer chuckled, "though with you as her mum she'd be much more organized than I was." He paused, tracing a feather light finger around his daughter's features, her nose a perfect miniature of her mother's. "She's just so...beautiful. How will I...we...ever be able to protect her from everything?"

Her mom smiled, "We raise her to be strong enough to protect herself."

"Damn right you do," Ella beamed from where she sat on the edge of the bed. "I mean that and having a badass looking angel for an uncle, an intimidating, though gorgeous, demon for an aunt," she winked over at Maze who nodded back from where she and Linda had been watching, " _and_ the Devil for a Dad doesn't hurt either. Not to mention a cop for a mom. I think she'll be just fine, Lucifer."

He sighed contently, "I promise, my small princess, I am _never_ ever going to let anything happen to you. And I keep my promises."

"He does. It's kind of his thing," Chloe whispered, kissing the little girl's forehead. "He has a few of them. We'll talk, don't worry."

"Besides, there's always next time for a boy, right?"

Chloe glared at him, "Fine, but you're on this end of things next time."

Linda took that as her queue and quietly came up to squeeze the man's shoulder before he got himself into trouble, "You did good, Daddy. Even if you _did_ think you tore off your kid's penis. Congratulations Chloe. She's beautiful."

"Thanks Linda," she sniffled up at the therapist, the demon close behind. "You too, Maze."

"Anytime, Decker. I'm just glad we didn't have to go through with our deal," she crossed her arms and nodded toward the little girl, now fast asleep in her mom's arms, still holding onto dad's finger. "New spawn's not too bad looking either."

Chloe just laughed, "Thank you Maze."

"Deal? What deal?" Lucifer asked, sitting up a little straighter.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," the Detective shook her head, voice a little strained as she shifted in her spot, clearly uncomfortable.

"Chloe?" his eyes grew suddenly weary again, looking from his wife to the brunette, "What's going on? This isn't where you say there's another head, is it?"

"This isn't Hollywood. No worries, Dad. Totally normal," Ella put an extra towel down under her friend and rubbed her leg. "It's that not-so-cute stuff that comes out after the baby. Still cramping?"

"I have been," she nodded, her voice breathy and tired as Lucifer watched, still looking more than a little uneasy, a supportive arm under his wife's to help hold their child.

"Well next time you feel like you have to push, we'll get it out so we can get you all cleaned up."

As the midwife went to get a couple more things out of her bag, Linda headed toward the living room, "Any requests for baby girl's first onesie, Chloe?"

She chuckled a little nervously, looking down at the blanket she was wrapped in, "Maybe something not so blue?" The therapist gave her a thumbs up, grabbed Maze, and gave the new little family their privacy.

Chloe groaned, shifting away from Lucifer, "Alright Ella, let's get this over with."

"That's the spirit!" she winked, slipping on her gloves and taking her place, expertly delivering the placenta as the mom didn't even make so much as a whimper as she pushed. After checking to make sure it was completely intact, she wrapped it up for disposal and beamed at her friend, "How do you feel, Mama Decker?"

She smiled, cuddling back into her husband's arms as he squeezed her around the shoulders and kissed the top of her head by what remained of her bun. "Exhausted. Happy. Relieved. A little empty," she gave a soft laugh, gazing down at the baby in her arms. "Still really uncomfortable though."

Ella nodded, "You will for a couple days. Uterus has to squeeze back down to size and all. Like last time." She looked at a very queasy looking Lucifer, "Your dad's design is super freaky, dude."

"Don't I know it…" he sighed, feeling like he could finally relax. A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over the new dad, interrupted by everyone's phones but Chloe's vibrating at the same time. He very nearly jumped out of his skin, scared that the buzz would disrupt his daughter, but got to his first and laughed at what he saw. It was a potato emoji and a question mark from Trixie. "Ah yes, baby's first selfie, Detective?"

"No, I look atrocious!" she protested, trying to hide her face from the camera.

Lucifer put a hand on her cheek, gently coercing her to look at him, "You, Chloe Jane Morningstar, are even more beautiful right now than you were the day I met you."

"Remember that when I'm in a diaper for the next month…"

"Always," he fluttered his eyebrows at her. "Come on, it's the Brat. She just wants to see her little sister."

"She wanted to see her little _brother_ ," she pointed out, her own eyes growing soft with the look he was giving her. "Fine," she sighed in defeat. "Just don't tell her it's a girl. We'll surprise her with that in the morning."

"Fair enough," he smiled, kissing her cheek before taking their very first family picture and sending it off with a smiley face. He closed out of his messages and held the phone up to compare the little girl's face to his background. "I could've sworn that was going to be my nose. And that...was that her cord then or-"

"Chlo?" Ella cocked her head at her friend, noticing her grimace. "You okay, babe?"

Lucifer clicked off his phone, tearing his eyes away from the fascinating new life, his stomach dropping when she shook her head no. "Chloe?"

"Are you sure you got it all? There's not like a...a piece still stuck in there?" she cringed, holding her breath as the pressure came on even stronger.

Ella shook her head, confused, "No…? The placenta was complete. You'll still be having pretty heavy contractions for the next couple hou-"

"I _know_ , Ella," Chloe snapped, trying not to wake her daughter, "I know. But it's...it's…getting worse and…hnngh-"

"Miss Lopez?" Lucifer's eyes grew wide with fear as he held his wife tighter, "What's going on?"

"Shhh...it's okay, Chloe. Just breathe for a second," remembering a trick from that winter and her recertification classes, she reached up to palpate her friend's belly. As soon as she tried, her face went white as all of the blood rushed down to her heart and sent it racing. Linda and Maze came in with everything from the nursery and started asking Lucifer what a potato emoji translated to before Ella cut them off as calmly as she could, "One of you ladies needs to take Little Miss Morningstar."

"Miss Lopez?" The woman's husband went just as pale, though his tone became impatient, verging on the brink of angry as Chloe squeezed his hand. "What's going on?" he asked again as Maze went around to her side of the bed and carefully took the bundle, her face momentarily looking like she'd drawn the short straw since Linda's hands were too full of supplies.

"I'm uh...I'm not sure how," Ella stuttered, putting on gloves and grabbing the doppler from her bag. "Chloe, I'm just going to check your cervix and make sure it's closing properly, okay? Just keep breathing."

Linda dumped everything out on a chair, a slightly panicked look on her face, "What's going on? Why is Maze holding the baby?"

"Hey," the demon shot her friend a look and shrugged. "It's not so bad, right Hell Princess?" she asked, though the baby was still sound asleep. "See?"

The therapist rolled her eyes and asked again, "Ella?"

"I think I found Lucifer's penis. Er...uhm...I mean…" she tried taking a deep breath, but it didn't do much to calm her nerves. "Chloe, how're you feeling?"

"Ella?" she asked, her eyes wide and scared though her body was relaxing a bit.

"Okay, keep in mind that the hospital missed it too and your father-in-law would never give you more than you can handle as the badass that you are, and that when this part is all said and done, it's going to be the best thing that ever happened to you and it's going to mean twice the love and double the-"

"Ella…?" Chloe's eyes grew just as wide as Lucifer's when she heard the word 'double'. "You are _not_ saying what I think you're saying. I know you're not. You can't be. That's impossible," she shook her head into her husband's chest as her breathing grew ragged and panicked, an exhausted, confused, scared sob coming up the back of her throat. "No no no no no, the...the placenta…it…it came out, Ella. No. No!"

"I know, but with fraternal twins, the first one can come out before or after the second baby," the lab tech was calming down from the shock and going back into business mode, mentally preparing for every possibility as she felt around her friend's still rigid belly. She smiled, grabbing her friend's hand and giving it an encouraging squeeze, "You're still fully dilated, Chloe. But he's in a really good position for this already, okay? He doesn't even feel breech or anything. It's going to be just fine, I promise you."

"You also promised you knew what you were doing," Lucifer snipped, trying his best to comfort his wife as another, much stronger contraction took hold of her and she squeezed him tight around the midsection.

"Lucifer," Linda interjected carefully from where she and Maze were cleaning off the little girl more thoroughly across the room. They both wore anxious, worried looks on their faces, but kept themselves busy and out of the way.

The woman's perpetually happy expression fell for a moment at his words, but she shook it off and grabbed the doppler, pressing it low on her patient's belly, "Guys, I'm sorry, but-"

"It's dead, isn't it?" Chloe choked, eyes already squeezed shut as she cried, "There wasn't a second heartbeat. Or...or anything on the scans...it's….it's…hnnnnghh-"

Lucifer's face went from furious to heartbroken in an instant as she writhed in his arms, "No…?"

"No no no, he's okay. Listen, listen!" Ella turned up the volume on the small piece of equipment in her hands, a strong, steady heartbeat filling up the room. "Little man's just fine," she looked up at the parents, her failed poker face turning from worried to relieved as Chloe and Lucifer exchanged a stunned look, both of their eyes the size of saucers.

Chloe's attempt at a nervous laugh was cut short by a low moan as her body pulled in on itself yet again, her small smile turning back to panic as the pressure built. Her husband weaved his already sore fingers with hers and kissed her sweaty neck, rubbing her other arm as he whispered, "I thought you said there wasn't going to be a next time?"

"Shut up," she panted, any trace of a smile gone as tears spilled down her cheeks, "I can't. Not again, I can't."

Lucifer looked at his friend, the anger replaced with that vulnerable, pleading look back on his face he'd given her so many times already that day. She set her jaw, thinking, her big brown eyes never wavering from optimistic. "I know you can do this, Chloe, but we're going to let gravity help you this time, come on. Lucifer, help me get her to the side of the bed," she exchanged a nod with the rather disheveled looking Devil and carefully helped to ease her best friend to the edge where she sat between her husband's legs, their feet on the towels protecting the fuzzy shag carpet.

Chloe squeezed both of his hands so hard that he winced from where he watched, kissing her bare shoulder as he felt her body tense. He breathed in her sweet scent to try to cool himself down enough to keep her calm, hoping she couldn't feel his heart beating out of his chest as it split in three. With a pang of guilt, he realized he physically ached with the desire to hold the little girl he could hear whimpering across the room, and his stomach tied itself in knots, wanting what they could only presume to be the missing son out safe and sound. But it was his Detective that kept him grounded in place, right where he needed to be, always his anchor when he felt like he could spin out of control, "It's going to be fine, Chloe. You're the mother of angels, remember? You can do anything."

"Ugh, fuck. Ggggnnnghhhh," she groaned in response, tightening her grip as her head lolled forward to her chest, bearing down as hard as she could. Lucifer found himself holding his own breath and tensing up as he held her, silently cursing his father that there wasn't anything more he could do for her.

"That's it, Mama Decker. Just like that." Ella gave her an encouraging smile, lightly stroking the inside of her shaking thigh as she cheered, "Little more! Little more!"

Chloe had to back off to catch her breath, trying desperately not to scream and scare her tiny daughter. Or her husband. "S...sorry…"

"You're doing great, just keep doing what your body tells you to do. And breathe. Both of you. I don't need dad passing out on me either," the peppy midwife winked. "Let's just wait for the next one."

The baby girl started growing restless in Linda's arms, sending her mother into another panic, "Is she okay?"

"She's just fine," the blond whispered, bouncing around gently. "She's probably just a little hungry, but she can wait for her brother, can't you? Bar will be open soon, it's okay."

Without waiting for the next contraction, Chloe started pushing again, "Get...him...ouuuut!" she hissed through her teeth.

Ella put her hand on her belly to confirm her suspicions, "Shhh, Chloe stop. It's okay. She's fine. Wait for the contractions so you don't tear. I'm not sewing you up today, remember."

The Detective stopped, crashing back to Lucifer's chest as he kissed her cheek, her breath shaky as she waited impatiently. After half an hour and several long hard contractions and strenuous pushing, she jerked back into him so hard that it almost knocked the wind out of him, the noises coming out of her mouth worse than some he'd heard in Hell. "Shouldn't he be _out_ by now? Doesn't the first one kind of…grease the wheels a bit? Stretch things out?" he asked, his own brow as sweaty as his wife's.

"Not necessarily," Ella bit her lip nervously as she did another quick check. "I think maybe this little guy was just helping to push his sister out."

"Something's wrong," Chloe gasped, a high pitched whimper and a scream contorting her face and sending Lucifer's heart straight to his throat as she flinched back. "Something's really wrong. I...feel like I'm being...split it haaAALF!"

Linda had passed the baby to Maze, running over to grab her friend's free hand and giving her patient a cool washcloth that he quickly placed on his wife's forehead. "Shhh," Lucifer tried to soothe her, but wasn't doing that great of a job with it as his own stare down to his friend looked as though he was about to take matters into his own hands. However that would be.

"I think he's got his little head stuck," the midwife sighed, subtly crossing herself.

"No…" Chloe whimpered, "no no no. Not again. No. No. M...Maze?"

"Again?" Lucifer asked, feeling as though he'd just been kicked in the chest.

Maze turned around from where she'd been whispering to the little girl in her demon tongue. She froze, shaking her head slowly, "D...Decker, I can't. I won't."

"You...have to. You...you promised," the woman cried, sending her husband down yet another confused, helpless spiral as he looked from her to his infernal companion. "You have to…please?"

His heart stopped as he watched Maze carefully bend over to her own bag, the one that made the suspiciously metallic clunk as it hit the floor when she'd first arrived with Dan. "Don't you _dare_ , Mazikeen," he seethed, his eyes turning red, regardless of his little girl still in her arms.

Ella's grew wide at the sight of Lucifer's, but she spun around to see Maze looking like she was going to throw up herself, slowly unzipping the bag with a shaking hand. "Woah! Nope! Huh-uh! Let's keep those kind of blades out of the delivery room, shall we?" She rolled her eyes, completely exasperated at the jump in conclusions and focused back on Chloe.

"Ella, she has to. I can't do this again. T...Trixie and I almost died last time. I can't let him. I can't…"

"Hey, no one's dying on my watch. Here's what we're going to do," she ripped off her gloves to tighten her ponytail and put on a fresh pair. "Lucifer, stack up some pillows and lay her back. That'll open up your pelvis just a tiny bit more, okay?"

Still looking dazed and more than a little shattered, he did what he was told, Linda supporting her back as he piled up the pillows and gently laid her down, never letting go of her other hand. He kissed her knuckles, squeezing it back in the smallest gesture of comfort he could think of as she looked up at him with terror in those big blue eyes he loved so much. "He's going to be fine. Both of you. Miss Lopez is the best, remember?"

"Maze, I need you. Give Linda the baby and leave the knives," Ella continued her orders, directing the leather clad lady to kneel on the bed, grabbing her hand to place just above Chloe's pelvic bone. "You're going to push down right here, firmly but _gently_ , okay? Wait until I say so." Maze just nodded, licking her lips and looking a million times more nervous than she'd let anyone ever see. "Chloe?" she gave her the softest, most encouraging smile she could muster, her eyes twinkling with just the slightest glimmer of sympathy for what she had to say, "On the next contraction, I'm going to reach up and guide his little head down with my index fingers. I need you to push as long and as hard as you possibly can. It's gonna hurt and I am so sorry, but you are so close to meeting your son. I promise. You can do this."

Chloe cried, holding onto Linda and Lucifer's hands as tightly as she could, shaking her head against the pillow. "I can't. It hurts and I'm tired and I can't…I can't..."

"Shhh, love." Lucifer whispered, leaning down from where he kneeled beside her on the bed. "Yes you can. You're the strong one between us, remember? Chloe, you can do this. I just saw you do it, not forty minutes ago. You are by far the strongest woman I have ever seen and...I've seen quite a few," he winked, trying to make her laugh. It didn't work. Seeing his Detective so vulnerable and uncharacteristically scared made the Devil weak and uneasy, but he moved the washcloth long enough to kiss her forehead, tears spilling over to his own cheeks, "I don't just have faith in you, love. You _are_ my faith." She looked into his eyes, a new spark igniting as she nodded ever so slightly, "Besides...it's just the horns." She finally smiled, rolling her eyes as he kissed her sweetly, having to pull away as she started groaning against his lips.

"Lucifer, Maze: Grab a knee. Ready Chloe?" At the woman's faint yes, Ella nodded to her assistant and the three of them did exactly what they needed to do, "Push Chloe! Push push push push! Yes! Yes! Keep going!" Chloe screamed, letting off for just a fraction of a second before going right back to it, her two hand-holds cringing themselves as they watched helplessly. "Hey hey! Baby's got a hand!"

"Oh God," the mother stopped, collapsing against the pillows, "is it broken? His arm?"

"Not at all. He's gripping my finger already. Keep going on the next one, you're almost there." Ella smiled, "Come on little man, Me' Ella laH gaD pagh!"

"What?" Chloe asked, startled.

"She said 'No one can resist Auntie Ella'," Lucifer chuckled nervously, wiping his forehead on his arm, both hands occupied with the back of his wife's knee and her hand.

"Why do you speak Klingon?!" she screamed as the pain started again, causing Linda to giggle in spite of herself as she comforted the baby in her other arm.

"I speak everything. Push, Chloe!" he smiled, curiosity outweighing the nausea as he carefully leaned over to see the tiny hand Ella was playing with as more and more of the little life became visible.

He went right back to her side as she gasped, "Owww, that burns. That burns! Oww!"

"Little pushes, Chlo. Let it stretch. Shhh, he's almost here."

"Almost done, Chloe. You're doing great," Linda squeezed her hand.

She grunted, closing her eyes tight, digging her face into the pillow as she pulled Lucifer's hand to her nose, "If this kid has horns, I swear to your dad I _will_ kill you. Uuuuuuunnngfhhhh."

There was a wet sounding gush and an overwhelmingly relieved yelp from Chloe as the second baby slipped into Ella's waiting arms. "Well hey there, Little Dude!" She cheered, quickly laying the gooey, stunned, very obvious boy on his mom's now flaccid bump, grabbing a towel from a very relieved, though pale looking Maze and rubbing his small back until he started wailing.

Lucifer carefully put his wife's leg down, tearing his eyes away from his screaming son just long enough to replace the washcloth on her head with another kiss. She cried happy, shocked tears as he rested his cheek in her sweaty hair, reaching down to touch that tiny hand that made the boy's delivery all the more difficult, his heart swelling in relief when he was met with a strong, tight squeeze. "Hello son," he smiled as a tear rolled off his temple into Chloe's hair.

Both parents were emotional wrecks as Ella checked him over to make sure he was okay, suctioning out his tiny nose and mouth and drying him off as he cried. She clamped off his cord and handed the scissors to Lucifer, "Think you got it now? There _is_ more than one thing you could cut off this time," she teased.

"Ouch," he shuttered, a smile playing at the corner of his lips as he cut, Chloe cuddling him to her chest as she sat up. "What's life without a little spontaneity, right Detective?" he laughed, wiping at his eyes in the most Devilishly manly way possible as he stuck close. The mom beamed at her husband as she caught her breath, her cheek against the tiny blond head as he started to calm from her touch.

"I think it's time you hold your daughter for more than just a quick pass," Linda whispered, her own eyes bleary as she carefully handed her over, smiling proudly at the man as he took the little girl without the slightest hint of hesitation.

Every fear he'd had about this moment simultaneously vanished and multiplied as her small, fragile, warm weight settled into his arms. He knew how strong he was and he knew what terrifying, hellacious events his past had entailed, but this tiny little thing with the Detective's nose and his eyes snuggled up comfortably against his chest, knowing none of that, and entrusting the Devil himself with her life as her brother settled down next to them in the arms of the woman that made it all possible.

Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, failing miserably to hide the fact that he was crying.

Chloe sobbed happily at the sight, resting her head lovingly on his bicep as she moved to cradle the little boy. Gazing down through her elated tears, she watched him blink slowly to adjust to the dim glow of the room. He had Lucifer's nose and lips, but her eyes. She ran a careful finger over his thick blond fuzz and laughed to herself, thinking about her husband's dream before the fire. The tiny baby was still whimpering when she raised him enough to kiss his forehead, "Aww honey. That was rough on you too, wasn't it?" she cooed.

"Yes," Lucifer sniffled beside her, making her laugh through her tears as she cuddled into his side. She maneuvered their new little son so that she and her husband were both holding the tiny siblings together. "I am so proud of you, Chloe."

"You too," she smiled, reaching up to kiss him, wincing again.

"No?" Lucifer's eyes grew wide with terror.

"Just sore," she chuckled, rolling her eyes at him.

Linda and Maze snuck back to the nursery to grab more supplies, including an extra baby blanket, while Ella carefully delivered the other placenta, cleaned everyone up, got mom and babies situated back in bed, and quickly ran all of the numbers on her little patients. "The princess has the prince beat. She's six pounds, seven ounces and he's six pounds three ounces. _But_ he's longer at twenty one inches and she's eighteen and a half."

"Wonder where they get that?" Lucifer beamed, puffing out his chest.

"We'll change the sheets and everything once these two little angels are fed. You good if I give you some privacy?" she asked, popping up from her spot at Chloe's feet, her ponytail bouncing behind her.

Chloe nodded, "I think we can figure it out. Maybe warm up some formula just in case?"

"Will do," Ella smiled, sighing contently at the bedroom steps. "I'll just be out here if you need me."

"Miss Lopez!" She went to leave, but Lucifer quietly called her back from where he still sat on the bed with his family, "What I said. It was out of line."

She shrugged, reaching up to her absent necklace out of habit, "You were just protecting your family. It's fine. Daddy."

As she disappeared into the living room with a final wink, he helped his wife out of her red bikini top and couldn't resist proudly pointing out that it was definitely his son that latched on without any hesitation. Their little girl took a bit more coercing, but soon they were fed, burped, changed, and sleeping contently, both in Lucifer's arms as he sat in the chair by the window, gazing down at them in wonder while Maze and Linda were cleaning up the bed and changing the sheets back to a fresh set of their usual silk, Ella helping Chloe to take a nice warm, soothing shower.

By five in the morning, the demon and the therapist had retreated to Linda's for their own afterhours celebration, Ella crashed in Trixie's room so she could be close, and the thankfully large bassinet sat at the foot of the bed while Chloe and Lucifer were far too engrossed by their children to put them down. The parents were cuddled together again, under the covers with their tiny little babies pressed up tight to each other on their laps. They were finally able to put them in separate swaddles, but they both fussed if held too far apart for too long.

Chloe laughed softly, her head resting on Lucifer's shoulder as she lightly traced her daughter's chin for the hundredth time, "What the Hell just happened?"

Lucifer returned the same nervous, overwhelmed chuckle, his hand looking even bigger than normal as it delicately cupped his son's small head, "I do believe they call these _twins_ , Detective."

"Have you checked?"

"No horns, no tails, no scales. No...burned lasagna," he rolled his eyes at her snicker. "Twenty fingers and twenty toes. Combined. Not on one or the other, that would be awkward."

"I meant their backs. Are they both…?"

Lucifer shrugged, gingerly picking up his son to lay on his chest, Chloe's heart warming at how natural he, of all people, looked. He ran his hand down the soft blue fabric, "Huh…" Cocking his head, he laid him back down by his sister right as he was starting to fuss. "A little human," he smiled, inexplicably proud.

"No?" she raised an eyebrow, moving the little girl back onto her chest so her father could do the same over the one pink baby blanket left behind at the penthouse before they moved.

"Ah," he nodded, eyes sparkling. "Seems she got more from her dear old dad than his hair and eyes…"

"D...do you suppose that's why we didn't...didn't know about her?" she asked as her heart started pounding rapidly again. "Why we couldn't see her? Why we never heard a second heartbeat until she was right there? I...I-"

Lucifer shrugged, shaking his head, "I don't know. I honestly don't know. But...maybe that's why you said this one was _always_ moving? Maybe when he was asleep, she took over?"

"Still…next time if there's not a human along with it, I what? End up on _I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant: Celestial Edition_?" she asked, her panic downplayed by the loving smile on her face as she caressed the brown fuzz on the head of her now favorite surprise.

The angel laughed, a little harder than he probably should have at her expense and kissed her temple, "Thought you said there was no next time."

"There won't be, you're getting snipped." But her teasing tone turned serious as she looked at him, her eyes on the brink of tears again, hormones still running wild. "I can't ask you to do that, can I?"

"Well," he puffed his cheeks, looking rather skittish, "I'd rather not mess with perfection down there, but-"

"No, I mean…" she sighed, collecting her thoughts. "After me. If...if you find someone else that makes you vulnerable, I can't ask you to give up all of this with her just because _I'm_ too much of a chicken to go through everything again."

Lucifer gave her a sad smile, running a hand through her freshly dried hair, "There is no one after you, Chloe. We've been over this."

"Yes we have and you are _not_ offing yourself before I go. Don't you want to be around forever for these guys? For our _children_?"

He stopped, feeling completely torn as he looked back at the two little bundles on their thighs, curious eyes wandering around the room. He couldn't resist and leaned forward, careful not to crush his little son as he kissed his daughter on the forehead, soon followed by the little boy.

"L….Lucifer?" Chloe ran her fingers through his thick dark, surprisingly curly hair, holding him down as he quietly protested, sounding more amused than he felt given their current conversation. "Don't uh...don't panic, okay?"

He sat up, easily pushing against her hold, "Not the thing to say to a Devil who just had to watch his wife give birth twice."

She smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Do...immortals get grey hair?"

"Huh?" he reached up in a slight panic. "What?"

She nodded, pulling his head down, careful not to jostle the little boy on his lap, "Lucifer you have a grey hair!" Chloe laughed, inspecting his head for any others as even he chuckled in surprise, "I thought I saw one on our wedding night, but I couldn't find it again. But it's...it's there. It's grey." She paused, squeezing his shoulder in fun, "Do you want me to pull it?"

"I'm a dad now. I need that, thank you," he sat back up and grinned at his wife, putting a light hand on both of his children's tiny bellies. "It probably popped out when she did."

"Probably. But you did an amazing job catching her. Not every dad gets to say he delivered his own kid," she leaned back into his chest when he put an arm around her shoulders, nuzzling his cheek into her hair as he sighed in disbelief. She covered the hand he still had on his son's belly and fingered at his onyx ring, "With everything you're feeling right now...do you honestly still think your dad is punishing you?"

He shook his head, trying to swallow the lump in his throat, "I don't know, Detective." He took a deep shaky breath, his eyes darting back and forth between his son and daughter. A million thoughts ran through his mind as Chloe finally drifted off to sleep in his arms, a protective hand still cradling their daughter on her lap. "Oh my God…"

* * *

The Devil didn't sleep a wink, but was up for every one of his children's feedings and changes throughout their first night, running to the nursery every time Chloe needed anything between her cat naps. He was a little startled to realize that the pull he felt to his wife had intensified a thousand fold toward the three of them as even a quick trip to the other room reminded him of how time passed in Hell.

Ella, being as close to an angel as a human could be without miracle status or having wings of her own, brought hot tea in for the new parents around one in the afternoon. She was still in her cat pajamas and glasses, setting the tray down on the bed and holding her arms out for the little boy snuggled up against his dad's bare chest, his tiny hands playing with the bigger version of his nose above him. Lucifer protested, but handed him over for a quick checkup while Chloe finished with their daughter's latest attempt at a feeding.

The midwife nodded to the file on the tray, "I brought in the paperwork so you guys could fill in the birth certificates. Thought of any names yet?" She smiled, pulling the buds of her stethoscope out of her ears.

Chloe sighed, blinking tiredly, "I don't even know what day it is. Are we even in the right mindset to name actual human beings at this point?"

Lucifer reached for the papers and a pen out of his nightstand, having to stare at his watch for a minute while his eyes focused, "It's the 27th," he yawned.

"I filled out the times for you. Figured Little Miss Morningstar was probably born a couple minutes before we got up here, so around 12:06. And I know for a fact my little buddy here was born at 12:52. It's a good thing you were able to hold off for a few minutes with her. Might be kind of awkward having twins born on different days. _So_ many questions in elementary school, am I right?"

Lucifer noticed his wife's face as she looked over at Trixie's model and the badge still on her nightstand. "Twenty three days later…" he mumbled, the hamster waking up from his nap on the wheel in his head. "I like Jonathan, Detective. How about you?"

She turned back to him, adjusting her daughter and covering up when she just wouldn't take to the feeding any more. "I do too," she nodded, taking a deep calming breath to try and control her happy tears. "I thought we were going to come up with something more…Amenadiel-ish?"

"And boost his angelic ego anymore than it already is? Not a chance. I'm writing down Jonathan."

"It's a good middle name," Ella shrugged, picking him up and watching the parents grin in agreement as Lucifer continued scribbling in the form. "It's very nice to meet you, Johnny."

"What about little miss angel here?" Chloe looked a little horrified, having not given it a second thought after seeing the last ultrasound. "Nothing angelic, I know," she smirked at Ella, "he thinks they're too stripperesque."

"He _is_ the expert."

"Hey now…" He frowned, "Well you're actually not wrong, but I was thinking...what about something like...Charnelope? Or...Parlette?"

Ella and Chloe exchanged hilariously disgusted grimaces. "Are you trying to Renesmee this poor kid? She is your _daughter._ Have a heart," her mom laughed.

"Wait, are you saying Lucifer knows who Renesmee is?"

"Trixie likes to torture him with the _Twilight_ movies." Chloe tried to hide her smile as she whispered, "I think he likes it."

When the two ladies started laughing at his expense, he rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, "Focus. Little Morningstar without a name here."

"Alright, alright." Chloe cocked her head, inspecting her daughters beautiful face, "We talked about Richelle for Charlotte?"

Ella's brow furrowed, "Richelle?"

"Richards," Lucifer explained, shaking his head. "It doesn't fit, does it?"

"Mikinzi?" Chloe suggested, "I feel like we should do something Maze related. Had she not pulled the beam off of you…"

"That's true," he swallowed hard, pushing the memory back down to the pit of his stomach. "But I think," he rubbed his chin, moving back to the pillows so he could put an arm around his wife and look into the little girl's eyes, "I think she needs to be named after the strongest woman I know. Stronger than any demon or goddess."

"What are you getting at?"

"What about Jane? It's simple but beautiful," he shrugged, a little bashful grin spreading across his face as he whispered. "What do you think, Princess? Jane Mazikeen?" The tiny thing blinked back up at him, "See? She's smiling. She likes it!"

"Gas," the women responded at the same time. "Lucifer, I don't know. You said Jane was impossibly boring, if I remember right. Do you even know what it means?"

He smiled, eyes sparkling brightly above the tired dark circles, "I do."

Chloe cocked her head at him, kissing his sweet lips and resting her forehead to his, conveying the pride she felt with her eyes. "Okay," she whispered. "Write it down."

He gave her another quick peck on the lips, wrote down the name and signed both bottom lines, handing the pen to his wife and exchanged the folder for his son with an almost giddy squeal. "Jonathan Amenadiel. Your uncle's going to be impossible," he sighed, shaking the little hand with his fingertip, the moment broken by the elevator ding.

"I didn't think that was working?" Chloe asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"Linda called the security company this morning. Somehow there was a time lock from midnight to four. Something about drunk traffic from the club? We got it fixed, no worries." Ella pulled out her key card from the pocket of her pajama pants and smirked, "Personally, I thought it had something to do with these fabulous rhinestones, but-"

"Shhh," the mom hushed her friend, hearing her daughter's voice. "It's Trixie. Do we surprise her or…?"

Lucifer's face broke into a cheek splitting grin as he carefully got up with the boy, sending his wife's heart fluttering as he cuddled little Jonathan to the muscles of his bare torso, his plaid pajama pants hugging his hips just right. He greeted his stepdaughter and her dad in the living room, Ella sneaking behind him with her phone to capture the moment.

Trixie gasped excitedly as Lucifer kneeled in front of her, moving the little boy so she could see his face. "Il ressemble même pas tant que ça à une patate"

The Devil chuckled proudly, amused even more by the bewildered look on Dan's face. "Bien sûr que non." He winked, slipping her a $50 before nodding toward the bedroom, "Maintenant, on arrête de parler de patates devant ta maman. She's can't wait to see you. Go sit with her and I'll bring him in for you to hold."

"Okay!" She clapped, quickly placing a gentle kiss on her little brother's nose and galloping to the bedroom, Ella close behind.

"Was my kid just speaking French?" Dan asked, looking even more dumbfounded. "Wh...what did she say?"

The new dad held his son up, looking completely chuffed, "She said he doesn't even look like a potato. Can't exactly speak in emojis can we? What _do_ you think we do all day while she's on summer holiday, Daniel? Sit around and watch TV? Sacrifice a goat or two?" He looked playfully mortified, standing back up, motioning with one hand for him to follow to the bedroom. "Come on, you'll want to see this."

Dan couldn't resist and made a silly face to the baby, greeted by a quizzical look from his temporary partner. He laughed awkwardly, the whole angels and demons situation still not sinking in completely, despite his living situation, mingled with the fact that the mother of his child just had a baby with someone he used to fantasise about killing. He stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged, stepping up into the bedroom, "Pretty well behaved for being the spawn of Satan, hu- …..what...the…?"

Trixie looked just as stunned, frozen by the Assyerian stone wall, her big brown eyes looking even bigger as her little mouth hung open in a shocked smile. She kept glancing back and forth from Lucifer to her mom, blinking in surprise, "Hoooooly merde!"

"Trixie." All three of her parents lightly scolded, Ella snorting behind her camera.

"Come here, Monkey," Chloe patted the bed beside her, hugging and kissing her little girl as she gently placed the baby in her left arm, the pink blanket already in the hamper, replaced with a white one. "Support her little neck."

"Her?" Trixie grinned.

"Mmhm," Chloe nodded. "Meet your little sister, Jane Mazikeen Morningstar."

"And this," Lucifer carefully placed the little boy in her right arm, hanging close in case she needed help, "is the little brother you were promised. Jonathan Amenadiel…Morningstar, of course."

"So I _was_ right!" she squealed. At her mom's questioning brow furrow, she explained, "I knew you'd name him after grandpa. _And_ right before Lucifer showed me his Devil face for the first time, I asked if you were having twins, remember? The looks on your faces were hilarious!"

"You were joking, Bug," her mom laughed, putting an arm around her.

"I'm still gonna count it as a win for me. Did you guys keep this from me the whole time?" she asked, looking at her stepdad with her almost threatening glare.

He chuckled, "Not at all. This was quite the surprise for everyone."

"And mom _hates_ surprises," she giggled.

Chloe just smiled, "I'm very happy with this kind. Now that they're out here anyway."

Ella wiped away her tears, feeling silly for being the emotional one in the room as she clicked for a few pictures, the video still recording. Dan snorted, met with glares from everyone. "Guys, it's funny, I'm sorry. A detective and her partner name their twins John and Jane? ...Doe? Anyone?"

Chloe gave a startled facepalm, glaring at her husband who was pursing his lips in what seemed to be an attempt to not bust out laughing. "Oh Jesus, Lucifer. I _told_ you we weren't in the right mindset to name people…"

* * *

"Detectiiiiiive! He's screaming!" Lucifer had both John and Jane on his chest, his tiny son wailing at the top of his lungs while the little girl just glared at her brother, refusing to be left alone. At his last resort, their dad somehow managed to open the bathroom door with his knee, "Why is he scream-?"

"Lucifer!" Chloe hissed as he caught just the smallest glimpse of her wet, glistening body stepping out of the shower before she turned around, quickly pulling on her robe. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Got my hands full," he frowned, a bit from the confusion at her reaction and partly from the resulting awkward tightness in his pants from the lack of action in the past two weeks. John's cries though, however sweet, were starting to fray his nerves, "I've tried everything!"

"Shhh, it's okay baby," Chloe expertly picked him up and snuggled him so his little blond head rested on her shoulder, rubbing his back while he calmed right down. "Yeah, you just wanted mommy, didn't you?" She smiled mischievously at her husband, but her eyes quickly changed to concern as she reached out to fix his disheveled hair, relief brightening her eyes as her finger touched the lone grey hair. "You better get changed. Linda's expecting you."

"Changed?" He yawned, raising a confused eyebrow at his wife as he gently shifted Jane down to lay in his arms. When Chloe pursed her lips, he followed her gaze and grimaced, gingerly passing the angel to her mom's free side. "You know, I didn't realize I'd have to change as often as they do…"

"Babies are magnets for designer suits," she smirked, kissing her daughter's chubby cheek, rolling her eyes as she started to fuss. "Really? You're giving me a complex, little lady."

Lucifer shrugged, a goofy proud grin on his face, "What can I say? She's clearly already got Devilishly great taste in men. Can't bear to be away from me." He leaned over to kiss both babies on the back of the head and his wife's forehead, pulling away to look at her with a worried glimmer in his eyes, "Are you sure you're fine with me leaving for the afternoon. Linda _did_ offer house calls for the time being."

"Go," she looked back at him with the same serious tone. "Trixie's a huge help and Maze is coming over for lunch. You need this, go. Don't forget to change your shirt." She smiled tiredly as he still hesitated and nudged him with her foot, "And take the Corvette. You look like you need some sun."

Halfway through their session, Linda laughed to herself as her patient's head lolled back against the couch. She cleared her throat a couple times, but found herself having to throw a pen at him instead. "I got him!" he jerked awake, blinking at his surroundings.

"Guess that answers my question."

He yawned again, rubbing his neck, "What was the question?"

"How's fatherhood treating you? Aside from all the pictures you send us every night," her grin still gave away her disbelief that the actual, real life _Devil_ was now happily married with twins.

"It...actually reminds me a bit of a Hell loop," he smiled softly in spite of the comparison, his eyes sparkling as he sat forward, pressing his fingertips together. "You get one fed and burped and put down and then the other one wakes up screaming to be fed and burped, and by the time you get that one put down, the other one needs changed. And then when that one's changed and finally rocked back to sleep, the other needs changed and that one's crying wakes up the other one, so you're trying to get both back to sleep at the same time, but you're not sure why because they'll just be up in a couple hours to do it all over again. And then-"

"Why um," Linda interjected, trying not to laugh at the exhausted new dad's expense, "why don't you and Chloe hire a nanny?"

"Like Amenadiel? I mean he _has_ been over every single day to see his new tests. They've seen their uncle more than their grandmother, which is fine, but don't you think it's time the angel gets a real job to help with your rent? Or is that what you're suggesting?"

The therapist snickered, "I'm serious. One baby is a lot of work for two parents, but two babies...oof. It's not like you can't afford to hire someone to help out a little."

His smile quickly dropped, "I'm not letting the help raise my children, Linda. I'm not my father. Not that anyone raised us."

"That's not what I'm saying. But, it's interesting you bring him up. I do have to say, your influence on your daughter's name took me a bit by surprise. Chloe said she even asked you if you knew what it meant?" she crossed her legs, grabbing another pen from the desk behind her and gently tapping it against her lips. "Why don't we talk about that?"

"What's there to talk about? It's a good name," Lucifer leaned back, rubbing his thighs pensively. "Yes, I realize I had once called it boring, but I wouldn't let her name a daughter Lucy, so I didn't exactly think she'd want a daughter named Chloe."

"But _Jane_ means gift from God in Hebrew."

"I speak everything, remember?" At his friend's silent response, he sighed and started playing with the ring on his right hand, "I dunno, I just...I think...maybe...my vulnerability around the Detective _was_ so she would be the one and only person I could...knock up, as it were. I don't…" he took a deep breath, standing up to pace around the room, "I don't know if our children have some sort of special purpose or if they're just little screaming, pooping, cuddly apologies, but as much as I hate to admit it, I realize that my dear old dad definitely did have something to do with them."

Linda pursed her lips to keep from grinning ear to ear as butterflies erupted in her stomach like they always did when a patient was close to what could be a major breakthrough. "Lucifer, what is your gut telling you here? A few months ago we talked about that. About how your child...now as it turns out _children_ , were possible apologies from your dad. But, what about the rest of it? What about that grey hair Chloe found the night the twins were born?"

"That's just it, Doctor. I don't know," he stopped by the window to stuff his hands in his pockets. "I don't _know_ if this is an apology and I should forgive the bastard, or if this is still part of a massive punishment. It doesn't _feel_ like a punishment, but…" he paused, taking a seat, his eyes wide, "if I'm aging, I could be with Chloe for, what? Another thirty, forty years? But then what? She goes up to the Silver City and I'm right back where I started?"

"You still think you're going to Hell?"

"Sorry, have we met?" he asked, sarcastically holding out his hand for a handshake. Pulling it back, he poured a glass of water and continued, almost frantically, "I am...the Devil. I am supposed to be the embodiment of evil and yet...as cheesy and rubbish as it sounds...I find myself falling harder for my wife every single day in a way that feels more powerful than my fall from Heaven."

Linda's jaw dropped, "Wow…"

"And the same is happening with our spawn. So yes, right now is lovely. I'm sleep deprived and exhausted because I want to be there for every single moment of John and Jane's lives. I find myself watching them for hours, even when they're asleep because they're fascinating, but I _want_ to be there. Not just because _my_ dad wasn't, but because I feel...sick...when I'm not close to them. And yes, I'm happier than I've ever been, knowing that I have a chance to grow old with Chloe, but after we...after we die…" He had to stop and clear his throat, his voice growing thick with emotion, "Jane will be able to take John up to Heaven because, as an angel, she can come and go as she pleases and John just needs a ride since he's half celestial without the wings. But...I've come to realize that Chloe will be able to see them forever. And I'm sure there's a way that they can sneak Trixie in as well, being half miracle, but I…the Devil..."

Linda nudged the box of Kleenexes across the coffee table as subtly as she could with her foot, "Lucifer?"

He sighed, "I only get to see my family while I'm here. On Earth. I would never _ever_ let my wife, my son, my daughter, nor Trixie see Hell. Ever. So...if it means being a little tired all the time, so be it. I don't...I don't want to miss a single second of any of their lives while I'm here. I don't want them to feel like I've _ever_ abandoned any of them like I've felt with my own father for my entire life. I'm...happy...but what if my happiness now just means more sorrow later while I'm back in Hell as a...as a tenant now that Michael and Gabriel have taken over? Is this all an apology or does it make the Hell bits that much more cruel?"

"That's up for you to decide," Linda nodded slowly, a small proud smile on her face. "Lucifer...Jane playing celestial taxi aside, it sounds to me like you're trying to cope with something that has been plaguing mankind since the beginning. In a way, not counting your Devil Face or your wings, you're...you're kind of a human now. Whether it's just Chloe that makes you mortal, or maybe Jane and John have something to do with it now...either way, you are in a position where you have to think about life and aging like the rest of us."

"Black socks with sandals and shuffleboard in Florida?" he smirked.

Linda shook her head, leaning forward to look him straight in the eyes, "We're only here for a certain amount of time, and we have to make the best of that time we have. Most people don't know for a fact, or don't believe that Heaven or Hell exist, so they choose to be happy in the moment. You'll get to see your children grow up. You'll spoil them rotten and you'll fight because it'll be like arguing with miniature versions of yourself, but it'll be wonderful. And humans are friggin awesome. Look at what Chloe's been doing for the last nine months. She _made_ two people and solved how many murders while she was doing it? As a...kind of...human, _you_ made that possible, Lucifer Morningstar. You helped to create _life_."

"Certainly seems like my father's style. Nine months of anticipation for those lives and only so much time to enjoy what's come of it…"

"Mortality sucks. It does. But I think, personally, and this is something you _will_ have to decide for yourself...I think you're dad has been watching how great life can be for his favorite toys and decided to let his son enjoy it too. Because, as I know you know, life is just that much sweeter when it can all disappear in an instant. Just don't be so sure that you'll still be banned from the pearly gates when your time comes. You are _so_ not the man that used to pay me with sex."

Lucifer chuckled a little sadly, looking down at his hands while he fiddled with his wedding ring, "Even if that were true, I'm just supposed to be happy for forty odd years knowing there's still a possibility I may end up back in Hell for all eternity?"

"Welcome to the human race. It's really not as bad as it sounds. You might want to lay off the booze a tad and pick up jogging, but...it's pretty great. And you have an amazing family to spend all those years with."

"As long as she'll let me…" he shrugged with a small pang of guilt as he looked down at the glass of water, the memory of his freshly showered wife poking at the fire in his belly. "I know we can't do the horizontal hokey pokey for another three weeks, six days, ten hours, and four minutes, but she's so skittish with changing or showering that I feel a bit like a peeping Tom in my own home. Not that I usually mind that, but she gets so _angry_ with me that I...I…"

"Like I said, Chloe just made two humans. Well, an angel and a human, but still." Linda suppressed a smirk at his countdown.

"I realize that. I had a part in putting them there. Which means I've seen everything. I've seen everything coming out of everything. That doesn't leave much more to see after _that_."

"She's probably a little sensitive about what that did to her physically, but her hormones are still going crazy so just...be gentle with her."

"After six weeks of long cold showers, I'm not so certain I'll be able to _be_ gentle. But I think I know what you're saying, Doctor."

"I don't think...that's not...uh ...not what I was getting at," she sighed, knowing anything said after he threw back what remained of his water and walked determinedly toward the door would just go in one ear and out the other.

"You just gave me an idea." He grinned mischievously, opening the door with a flourish and nodding his goodbye, "I'm sure I'll see you this evening with Macho Poppins."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she shook her head as he disappeared, reaching for her phone and trying to decide if she could ethically warn her friend.

* * *

"Trixie, get in here!" Chloe yelled over the blaring music, loud enough to pulse the bed in the master bedroom on the opposite side of the penthouse. She cringed as both babies started whimpering, Jane on the pillow in her lap trying to enjoy her afternoon snack, and John kicking his little legs against her thigh as he waited for his turn. "Sorry, sorry, shhh...it's okay. It's okay guys. Mommy didn't mean to yell so loud," she cooed, clearly terrified of starting an all out cryfest after enjoying the peace a quiet they'd given her that afternoon. When the music still didn't stop and the culprit hadn't yet shown her face, she reached for her phone and texted her request, " _BEATRICE CAROL ESPINOZA! TURN IT OFF AND GET IN HERE!_ "

Finally after a few minutes, the music quietted to a low rumble and Trixie slowly sauntered up the steps. "You remembered me?" she asked, the preteen moodiness having amplified after the realization of how much work twin siblings would actually be.

"Trixie, you have to keep it down, remember? Tiny ears?" she scolded gently, her heart noticeably squeezing with a hint of guilt that overpowered her annoyance. The girl just rolled her eyes in response and folded her arms, but her tough act didn't fool her mother. "What was that anyway? Sounded...creepy."

"Manson," she shrugged, visibly trying to perk herself up. "Can we play _Guess Who_ while they eat? That doesn't take much effort. Please?"

Chloe shook her head slowly, her heart breaking as Trixie's face fell even more, "Monkey, not right now. I'm sorry. Why don't you come play with your brother while Jane finishes up and we can play later, okay?"

"Aww, come _on_ , Mom! I can't do anything anymore. I always have to turn down my music, I can't practice on Lucifer's piano, my guitar's too loud, we don't get to watch movies anymore without these two interrupting our fun. I'm so over this!"

"Trixie!" Chloe called as she turned around in a huff, stomping out of the room. She sighed, looking from her other little girl's eyes to John's tiny fist he held tight to his cheek, "Your sister really is a sweetheart, I promise."

The elevator doors opened just in time for Lucifer to hear his name over the music and watch his Brat storm down the stairs. Out of some strange new overpowering reflex, he quickly dropped the parcels he was carrying on the bar and caught her around the waist with one arm, a confused look on his face as she tried to squirm out of his grip. "Put me down, Lucifer! I'm not in the mood," she growled.

"You _are_ your mum's offspring, aren't you?" he smirked, sitting her on a barstool. "What's going on?"

"I'm ready for school to start. No one will play with me now that there's two of them," she frowned. "And you promised."

That unexpected pang of guilt from his therapy session settled back into the pit of his stomach as they both rolled their eyes at the same time, "I seem to remember warning you that he was going to be a lot of work. Just so happens to be double the work now, isn't there? But what else did I tell you?" Trixie set her jaw and looked everywhere else but at him. He cleared his throat, eyeing her, "Urchin?"

"That Dad's not a consolation prize."

"Eh," Lucifer snickered with a playful shrug. "And?"

Trixie sighed in defeat, a smile playing at her lips as she looked up to her stepdad and played with her necklace, "That I'm not actually being ignored, you just don't know what you're doing."

"Right, _I_ don't know what I'm doing. The Detective is a pro, look at her," he beamed, watching her with their children from the doorway as she took Jane's tiny hand and made it wave to him. Turning his attention back to the girl, he nodded toward her room, "Don't we have a book to finish?"

Her eyes lit up as she jumped down and ran toward the steps of the hall, "Be right back!"

"And turn off the freaky me music!" He shook his head with a smirk, picking up the dozen red roses from the bar and headed for the bedroom. Chloe smiled at him as he took a seat on the bed. Laying the flowers down, he carefully picked up his son with a cheesy grin on his face.

"How do you do that, Lucifer?" she asked.

"Like it says in the book. Support the neck and all that."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "I meant with my kid. I know I've never been through what she's going through, but she's just so..."

"Bitchy?" he winked. "Remember, the Devilish charm worked on the routiest of Demons, darling."

"Even Maze?"

"Eventually. Speaking of," he looked quizzically around the room, "where is our little Demon Doubtfire?"

"Dan called a while ago with a lead on one of her bounties," she yawned, gingerly picking up the little girl to burp once she was done. "He said you invaded the precinct with baby pictures again?" she teased, praising Jane as the sweetest little burp came out of her tiny mouth. "Was that before or after you robbed the Botanical Gardens?"

"I would never do any such thing, Detective," he paused, his feigned look of offense cut short as he practically giggled when John grabbed hold of his thumb. "Stealing flowers anyway. I have to show off these little beauties though, don't I?"

"You were drilling him about the list from the cult?" she asked, her voice going quiet as she side-eyed the doorway for Trixie.

He nodded, "The San Francisco Police Department has everyone on surveillance, supposedly. Daniel ran background checks on them too. Said none of them looked to be threatening, so there's some comfort at least…"

Chloe pursed her lips against her daughters soft brown fuzz, her eyes sparkling at just how sweet her husband looked, cuddling with his little boy. All the concerns from their episode with such evil seemed to vanish behind the love in his eyes and the smile, put on his face just by the mere sight of his family. "Care to switch, Daddy?"

"Your lucky day, Mr. Morningstar," he grinned mischievously, scooching closer to scoop up his daughter in his left arm. "This place is delectable, isn't it Princess? I've been trying to get in for weeks."

"You're hilarious," she glared up through her eyelashes, bringing her son close. "Come here, buddy. I made sure your sister didn't take your favorite side."

"That's my favorite side too, son," he winked.

"Eww!" Trixie grimaced, walking back into the room, book in hand. "Did you forget about me again?"

"Absolutely not," Lucifer's brow furrowed as he moved to lean against the headboard, patting the space between him and Chloe.

She smiled from ear to ear, quickly moving the roses to the dresser, careful of the thorns, and crawled into place. "Just so you know, I think we should read _Harry Potter_ next. But you have to whip out your Devil face and a scary voice for all the Voldemort parts. As a returning favor, if you will." She fluttered her eyebrows, "I think I have enough leftover for all the books."

"Oh do you?" he tried to sound bothered, but in all reality, he'd already ordered the set to be delivered by eight o'clock the following night after catching the hints she dropped the morning before. "Baby for a book?" he offered.

"Is she gonna pee on me again?"

"Hopefully not," her stepdad couldn't help but laugh, lightly wrapping the little girl in the new pink baby blanket Fitz had made to go with John's, and eased her into her sister's arms. "Watch her head. Now where were we?" he asked, picking up the book and flipping through the pages as Trixie stared at him, looking a little queasy. "Ah, here we go. _The aircar rocketted them at speeds in excess of R17-_ "

"Wait!" the girl stopped him, "Spoilers! Mom hasn't read the rest of it."

"Bug, it's fine. I've watched the movie with you a hundred times."

"The book is better," they both said in unison, causing the Detective's eyebrows to spring up into her forehead.

"I promise I won't get mad if I hear anything that'll ruin the rest of it for me," she chuckled, wrapping her free arm around both of her daughters, and sending an amused smirk to her husband over Trixie's head.

"Right," Lucifer yawned, stretching his arm out on top of the headboard behind his family. " _The aircar rocketed them at speeds in excess of R17 through the steel tunnels that led out on to the appalling surface...of the planet which was now in the grip of yet another drear morning twilight. Ghastly gray...light congealed on the land_ ," he kept yawning, trying his best to stretch open his suddenly heavy eyelids. " _Ghastly gray light congealed_ -"

"You already read that part," Trixie interrupted, though she didn't sound too troubled by it, squealing as her sister ended up with one of her braids in her small hand.

"Sorry," he blinked furiously, refocusing on the words. " _R is a...velocity measure, defined as a reasonable...speed of t-travel..._ "

A little concerned, but feeling much the same way, Chloe looked over to watch her husband struggle with the next few lines before the book finally slipped out of his hand and his head came to a rest on a slightly baffled eleven year old's shoulder. "Uh..." she frowned, looking at her mom, "is Lucifer okay?"

She grinned, leaning over to see, careful not to disturb the little boy in her arms. Lucifer was out cold, now with an arm protectively across Trixie's lap, looking a bit like a child with a teddy bear, mumbling something to himself about Urchins, Mars, and no tattoos. When the stand-in bear went to poke him with her free hand, she grabbed it and gave it a comforting squeeze, "I think he finally wore himself out. Let him sleep."

"I'm a little stuck here," she retorted quietly, this time with far less attitude.

"Shh...he's slept even less than I have since these two were born. I'll help you ladies out when your brother's done. After we put these guys down I think we may have time to watch a movie. What do you say? Your choice."

"With five games of _Guess Who_ and four rounds of _Uno_."

"Two _Guess Who_ and two _Uno_ ," Chloe countered, breaking out her best interrogation room negotiation face, elated that their usual silly banter was back.

Trixie raised an eyebrow, not blinking, "Two and three."

"Deal," she chuckled, kissing the top of her fristborn's head. "I love you kiddo."

"Love you too, Mom. But...something stinks."

"Want to learn how to change a diaper?" Chloe smirked at her daughter's reaction, "It's not _that_ bad. Lucifer hardly gags anymore."

That evening, like almost every other evening since the start of his new title, Uncle Amenadiel showed up with yet another small stuffed animal for the nursery, a slice of chocolate cake for Trixie, and a break for his sister-in-law. Aunt Linda said her usual apologies as she gave her friend a hug, and was met with the same grateful smile from the tough but tired Detective, her stubbornness outweighed by newborn induced fatigue.

"Where's Lucifer?" Linda asked after almost an hour, gently bouncing Jane by the fire, her small head resting on her shoulder as a tiny hand played with her glowing blonde hair.

Chloe shook her head, chuckling as she walked by Amenadiel and Trixie, giggling on the couch while gently strapping on a pair of fluffy blue wings to the little boys back, the baby looking like a toy in his uncle's massive, careful hands. She nodded toward the bedroom, "He finally fell asleep. He's been out for hours."

"I'm amazed he made it _this_ long. Last time it was what, a week?" the therapist asked, not fully thinking of the situation that caused his last bout of insomnia before the new mom's face fell ever so slightly. "Not that this is at all the same thing."

"Thankfully no." She sighed, handing Linda a glass of wine, sipping on her own non-alcoholic version. "You know, not that I ever, _ever_ pictured Lucifer as a dad before we got together and he started bonding with Trixie, but...I never pegged him as the type that would help out as much as he does. He is the _Devil_ , but...I just know he's going to be that dad that kisses owies and tells these two not to go too fast on their bikes because they might get hurt. And here I was worried he'd be so distant, especially after he ran out of the room when this one was born," she laughed softly at the memory, reaching a gentle hand out to her daughter's tiny feet.

Linda smiled, recalling the morning's conversation and the root cause of the man's exhaustion. "Can you imagine what he'll do if a guy ever breaks her heart?"

"I don't want to think about it. I mean I _do_ love him for everything he was, I just hope he doesn't go back to that on some poor kid." the mom shuttered, a small smile playing on her lips. "I can't believe how much he's grown just since I saw his...his face. He's not even blaming his dad for _everything_ anymore, just a few things here and there, and I swear it's just in fun. Do you think maybe he's starting to forgive him?"

"I think it's possible," she shrugged, setting down her glass on the mantle and expertly switching Jane's position as she started to fuss. "I've been thinking about that a lot today too. I can't say I'm all that surprised that Lucifer is as good with these two as he is though. I see it all the time. There's two paths sons with absent fathers usually take when _they_ enter into fatherhood. They either copy their own dad, in this case God, or they do the exact opposite and bend over backwards to make their kids happy. Or...nephews too, apparently."

The two ladies turned around to see little Johnny on Amenadiel's chest, looking very confused as Trixie gently flapped the little blue wings, "See! Now he's an angel too!"

Chloe just laughed, turning back to Linda as her daughter's attention went back to her uncle. She opened her mouth a couple times to speak, but couldn't find the words as she watched one of her best friends grinning down at the little girl in her arms, "I...I know Lucifer shouldn't have said anything, but um...I'm sorry. I didn't know about uh...about your…"

"About Dr. Rachael Preston, M.D.?" Linda looked up, her proud smile easing the woman's discomfort, "Don't worry about it. Like I told him, not many people know."

"I know, I just...I feel like I think of you as the therapist bestie and you always get sucked into hearing about my problems and I just...I wanted to make sure you knew you could come to me with anything too," she stuttered, wiping her eyes as her voice broke. "I promise the hormones will go back to normal eventually."

"I know they will," Linda laughed, carefully wrapping her free arm around her friend for a light hug over Jane. "But I'll keep that in mind."

"Good," she sniffled, pulling back. "You're just such a natural with them. Have you ever considered…?"

"If it's possible," the therapist nodded, looking back at Amenadiel, her heart fluttering as he kissed his little nephew's head. "He makes a hell of a good uncle. No pun intended." She smirked at her own joke, but her brow furrowed as she spotted something across the room, "What's that?"

"What?" Chloe asked, following her gaze to see a fancy small white shopping bag on the bar. "Oh! No idea. He brought roses home after his sessions. Maybe something to do with that?" she shrugged, curiosity taking over as she went to check it out.

"Oh no…" Linda's eyes grew wide as she followed quickly behind. "Chloe, I think that might be…"

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she snarled, pulling a lacy white negligee out of the bag, her cheeks growing red. "What the f-" she stopped herself with a huff, stuffing it back where it came from. "How _could_ he?"

"Chloe, I don't think that was the inten-"

"I just had _twins_ , Linda. I still look at _least_ five months pregnant. WHY would he think this is okay?" she almost shook, she was so angry, throwing a glare into the bedroom as she tossed the bag back on the bar. "He was so sweet and understanding with me when I was pregnant, but now he pulls this? _This_ is what I was worried about and this is only two weeks without sex. He's regressed back to...to…himself. And what happens when we _can_ do that again? One look at me and he'll fly off the balcony. Literally."

Linda took a deep breath, giving her friend a calming smile, "You know that's not going to happen. He's concerned, Chloe. He keeps thinking he's done something wrong since you won't let him uh... _see_ you. But for the record, you do _not_ look like you just had twins, just saying."

"Thank you big t-shirts and pajama pants," she mumbled, crossing her arms self consciously over her torso.

"Look, I know you know this from when you had Trixie, but things will go back. It'll be fine. He's not _that_ shallow...anymore." She rocked Jane as Chloe swallowed hard, the fury burning in her eyes slowly transitioning to a look of worry as she reached for the bag again, pulling out the contents with her jaw set. The top was lacy, but more modest than she would have expected, coming from her patient. "Maybe it's more sweet than selfish? You really need to try that on. It's adorable. Nope, sorry. It's trè sexy." At Chloe's questioning glare, she shrugged, "I was right about your wedding dress, wasn't I?"

Chloe just rolled her eyes, shaking her head and looking back into the bedroom, the round lamp on her husband's nightstand casting a glow over his beautiful face. A face that she now found very difficult to stay mad at after all he'd done for his family. She sighed, "I guess. Might stick a blindfold on him though."

A couple hours later, after Chloe had tucked Trixie in, she placed a loving kiss on both babies noses before laying them in their cribs, Jane's set up right next to John's like it had been there the whole time. She yawned, chuckling at the row of World War II pinups on the wall that Trixie argued to keep up as strong beautiful women for her little sister to look up to. Turning on the nightlight, she made sure the monitor was on, and picked up the small white bag as she walked through the main room.

Lucifer stirred as he felt the bed move, blinking in confusion while he rubbed his face, his hands catching Trixie's blue cat ear headphones, "What-?"

"Those _are_ magic headphones," his wife laughed, taking them the rest of the way off and putting them on her nightstand with the screen for the baby monitor. "Morning."

"What time is it?" he asked, squinting at his watch.

"About 10:30," she yawned, joining him under the galaxy print blanket Trixie had thrown on top of him. "You slept for over eight hours. Now it's my turn," she winked. "I pumped, so there's milk in the fridge when they're hungry."

"Mmmm," he moaned, wrapping his arms around her middle, resisting her attempts to move his hands up. "I see you found my present."

"You're lucky Linda was here. I almost strangled you with it."

"Why?" he finally backed off, if only to strip down to his boxers and pull down the duvet for them, forgetting it at the foot of the bed as he really took in the sight of her with her hair down, his eyes growing soft. "You look beautiful."

She bit her lip as she laid back down, and felt her cheeks growing red. The top was loose enough to be comfortable, but the sheer white flowy skirt was a bit short considering her bump hadn't gone down nearly as much as she would have wished in the past couple weeks. She pulled it down as much as she could, making sure the wonderful diaper she was still stuck in wasn't visible, "Please don't look at me like that."

The man's brow furrowed ever so slightly, his heart in his throat as she turned out the light, "Like what?"

"Just...come back to bed. Sleep when they sleep, remember?"

Lucifer laughed a little sadly, reaching for the covers and settling himself between her legs, despite her light protests. He wrapped his strong arms around her middle and nuzzled into her stomach, "You said yourself that was bullshit, Detective. What we need is cocaine."

Chloe sighed, defeated, gently swatting the side of his head before running her fingers through his soft hair, the glow of the screen guiding her way to find that single piece of grey. "So I'm a flabby pillow now, is that it?"

He shook his head, leaning himself up on his elbows and slid a warm, cautious hand under her shirt, his heart breaking as her lip trembled with nerves. He traced one of the few stretch marks left by their children with his thumb, pulling the skirt up enough to feather light kisses around her belly button. He could feel her shaking under his touch and that pang of guilt grew ten times stronger. "You have seen my face so many times now, Chloe. My face that brings terror to all but your daughter the first time they see it. A face that I _know_ is hideous and wretched and brings nothing but pain and suffering. But you see it now without so much as a flinch."

For just a moment, he slowly transformed into his red, scaly Devil face, his smile shining through as Chloe nodded in understanding, tears running down her face as she caressed his hairless head before changing back. "If you can love me enough to make me see past that, I can at least _try_ to love you enough to see that I don't care about your scars. I don't _care_ if your lingerie crinkles at the moment," he chuckled.

"I'm sorry, it's just...your...history…" she cried, trying to blink away her tears.

He sighed, "I know. But despite the fact that you, my Queen, gave me a beautiful princess and a handsome little prince, I _am_ retired as the King of Hell, remember? I'm not going back. Ever," he swallowed hard, squeezing her just a little tighter, "not until I absolutely have to after I've grown very, _very_ old with you. Can you imagine what my Devil face will look like when it's old and wrinkly?" he asked, trying to lighten his own mood.

She shook her head, though calling her his queen _did_ put a smile on her face. "No, I meant your history of drop dead gorgeous models, stewardesses, strippers, waitresses, more strippers, more models, just...just generally stunning, size zero, perfect tens. I...I can't compare to that...not anymore."

"That's where you're wrong, Detective. I've only ever slept with one perfect ten. And I married her."

"Candy?" she teased through her tears, but was interrupted by a small whimper on the screen beside her.

"Absolutely not, love," he looked at her sternly, though his eyes were shining as he crawled up to kiss her. "You go to sleep. Time for the Devil to return the favor. I'll see you in the morning."

She yawned, "I fed him right before I put them down, so he probably just needs changed." A hand still in his hair, she ran her fingernails up his back and grinned at the goosebumps she felt rising in their wake, "I love you Lucifer."

"I love you too." He kissed her once more, grabbed for his robe, and she rolled over to watch him pick up their little boy and check his diaper. "You don't smell like you need changing, do you? Did you just want a quick cuddle with dad?" Chloe laughed as her heart skipped a beat, wiping her cheeks as he sat down in the rocking chair and started singing to him quietly as their daughter slept.

" _May good fortune be with you, may your guiding light be true. Build a stairway to heaven with a Queen just like your mum. And may you never love in vain. And in my heart you will remain, forever young,_ but not too young because you and I need a Vegas weekend when you're older. Don't tell your mum or sisters," he grinned to the camera, kissing his head before he continued, to Chloe's surprise, not editing the parts where the boy's grandfather was mentioned. " _And when you finally fly away I'll be hoping that I served you well. For all the wisdom of a former immortal, no one can ever tell. But whatever road you choose, I'm right behind you, win or lose, forever young…_ "

* * *

"I'm telling you, Mama Decker, with the exception of the whole 'holy crap, there's actually two' thing, they're as textbook as you were, carrying them." Ella smiled, making faces at John on the changing table. "They're gaining the right amount of weight for being four weeks old, their numbers are good, everything's spot on. I couldn't have asked for easier patients for my return."

"Your return?" Chloe asked, a little shocked as she patted Jane's back. "You're not...l-leaving us at the precinct, are you?"

"No! Not at all. I've had my fun," she could see her best friend's eyes turn from heartbreak to relief in an instant as she picked up the little boy and soothed him when he started crying. "Now that these guys are going to start seeing a pediatrician, I think I'll hang up my bag and leave it for the nuns at Nonnatus House."

"Well I can't thank you enough, Ella. You realize that, right?" the mom smiled, squeezing her arm with her free hand. "You really took the pressure off. Even if it did hurt like Hell."

"Good one," the tech snorted. "I mean, I _will_ come out of retirement if my services are ever needed again," she gently elbowed her with a wink.

Chloe glared at her, but the corners of her mouth twitched, "Not needed, thank you. I'm planning on teaching a certain someone how to use condoms later so he can practice while he insists on counting down the days."

"Is that what the cucumbers in the kitchen were for?" Ella busted out laughing as Chloe's jaw dropped. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

When Lucifer walked into the nursery, Chloe started laughing too, causing a rather confused look to spread across the man's face, "Uh...I was just coming in to see if you'd had a chance to ask Miss Lopez yet…"

"Ask me what?" she perked up even more, her ponytail bouncing as she looked from Lucifer to Chloe. "I'm not helping with _that_ lesson…"

"No," Chloe blushed. "We were just um...just wondering if you'd be willing to be Jonathan and Jane's Godmother?" she asked, a little carefully given the woman's remaining lack of jewelry around her neck.

Her eyes grew wide as she stuttered, trying to think of something, anything to say. All that came out was a tiny squeak at Lucifer, grinning with one hand in his pocket and the other on the goat's stuffed head, "You...want them to have a... _God_ mother?"

"Sort of," he rolled his eyes, covering the bashful grin on his face. "We figured who better to teach them about their grandfather than someone who can get through the stories without laughing at them or getting too angry, right?"

"Uh…" she looked at him with an almost deer in headlights expression, slowly handing him his son. "I'll uh...I'm…sorry."

She didn't say another word, but quickly left the room, leaving Lucifer puzzled and Chloe looking at him with 'I told you so' written all over her face. "Please go talk to her," she asked with a sympathetic smile, reaching an arm out for John.

"Way ahead of you," he nodded, handing her their son and jogging after the brunette he found on the balcony. "Miss Lopez, I think you and I need to have a discussion about Dear Old Dad…"

"I'm sorry, I'm honored, I just…" she gripped the railing, looking much smaller and sadder than he'd ever seen her. "I uh...I crossed myself...when Johnny was stuck. It's just...habit, you know? And I've been feeling super...guilty and weird about it and I keep thinking I should apologize to you for that, because I know what your dad did to you, but...I just...I'm sorry. I don't know if me being a Godmother is such a great idea. I love those little buggers so much, but...it implies...Him...and...and I just have a tiny apartment if anything were to happen to you and Chloe and…"

"Miss Lopez," Lucifer stopped her before she started pacing, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that as well. Not your apartment, because _nothing_ is going to happen to the Detective or me, but...I don't care that you...crossed yourself. If it took thinking that my father was helping you through that, than so be it. John's safe and sound because of you and _that's_ what matters. I'm grateful." He waited for her to look at him, nodding ever so slightly. " _I've_ wanted to apologize to _you_ , Ella."

"For what?"

"I know how much your...your doubt meant to you. The fact that you had faith because you were able to doubt that the whole God thing was real. That I'm the Devil. That Amenadiel is an angel or Maze a demon or Ray Ray is something other than a ghost. All of that. I took that from you, and I'm...I'm truly sorry. I want you to know that."

"Honestly?" she shook her head, "I'm okay with knowing it's all real. It just means that...even if He wasn't listening to what I had to say, there was still someone there, you know? Someone to explain...everything. Someone that designed it all, even looking at it as a scientist. It...makes sense now. But...what I can't get past is...well _you_ , Lucifer. You're like my big brother and I hate to think that he put you through so much shit and...how can I trust in someone that does that to my big bro?"

Lucifer's heart swelled as he subconsciously puffed out his chest, "Miss Lopez, I want you to have something." He dug in his pocket and brought out a hilariously gaudy box, covered in what she could only guess were genuine, brightly colored gemstones. He opened it to reveal a much more subtle, though still sparkling and colorful cross, "It's not my taste of course, but it was a gag gift from Elton for all the piano lessons. Blessed by the pope, supposedly."

"Elton? As in…?" she went to touch it, but pulled back, biting her lip.

"Mhmm," he nodded as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he grabbed the necklace and handed her the box, motioning for her to turn around. "Consider it a thank you for helping Chloe through everything, if you like, but...I don't want _my_ relationship with my father getting in the way of your relationship with him, alright? As much as I'd like to stick it to Dear Old Dad, I'd hate for him to lose _you_ of all people."

Ella reached up to touch her new bling with a shaky hand. It _did_ feel right in her fingers as her vision went misty. She turned around, a knowing sparkle in her eyes, "Lucifer, does this mean you and the Big Guy might be...making up eventually?"

He shrugged, looking slightly taken aback, "Let's just say that if…well if the Devil himself can work toward forgiving the bastard…you can too," he shrugged, giving her a sheepish smile. "Come here," he feigned annoyance, bending over to embrace her small stature.

"You're hugging me?!" She squealed, "Awww, Lucifer!"

That afternoon while Trixie was still at school, having just started the seventh grade, Chloe walked into the kitchen with the screen to the baby monitor and quietly sat it on the counter before wrapping her arms around her husband's middle, chuckling as he jumped. "Sorry," she squeezed. "I just wanted to say how proud I was of you."

"You saw Miss Lopez's new bling, I take it?" he asked, chopping the cucumbers and raising an eyebrow at her in question for her giggling. "What? I can be a decent Devil now and then."

"I know you can," she nodded, stealing a piece. "I also saw you gave Ella one of her famous hugs."

"I did. You're not jealous, are you? Because I did get you a present as well," he winked, wiping his hands off on his apron and reaching into his pants pocket, pulling out a much more sophisticated blue box. "It's a bit controversial on the mommy blogs, but I'm nothing if not a magnet for controversy." He grinned as he handed it to her, waiting for her to open it, her eyes instantly welling up. "It's called a push present, Detective."

"You replaced my bracelet?" she smiled, trying to control a sob. "It's beautiful."

"It's also yours, love. Daniel said the firemen found it in what used to be the basement. I had it sent away for cleaning and...made a few adjustments to more suit our family. I hope you don't mind." He kissed her forehead, clasping it on her right wrist and delicately showed off the platinum charms. "I had Trixie and John's stones reset. Added Jane's, of course. The angel wing is hers. The teeny tiny LAPD badge is John's. Trixie is the space ship," he chuckled as Chloe grabbed the towel to dry her cheeks. "Our anchor."

"Is that...the Golden Gate Bridge?" she asked, pinching it between her fingers.

"They'll get more exotic as the kids get older, I promise. And I had to add these," his eyes grew soft as he carefully spun it around, showing off the two Menopoly shoes.

She sniffled, shaking her head in awe. "I can't imagine how much this cost, Lucifer."

He rolled his eyes in fun, "Well for starters, I've had the jewels forever. Almost literally. John and Jane's rubies were a party favor from a weekend at Mark Antony's when he and Cleo were on a bit of a break." At Chloe's wide eyes, he shrugged, "There's plenty more in all sorts of colors in case we accidentally make anymore Morningstars."

It was Chloe's turn to roll her eyes, "You're just trying to keep me barefoot and pregnant, aren't you?"

He cocked his head at her, caressing her cheek, "You _are_ cutely vulnerable when you're pregnant, Detective."

"Oh shut up." He just grabbed the box from her, setting it down on the counter as he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. She couldn't help it and hungrily deepened the kiss, squealing as he picked her up to sit on the counter, their tongues wrestling with each other as his hand tangled in her hair, her breathing ragged. "Lucifer, we can't."

He snuck his other hand up the back of her shirt and pulled her close to his already hardening bulge, every nerve in his body on fire with a yearning for her, "Don't remind me," he whispered, moving her hair to kiss her neck. He pulled back, giving her a devilish growl, "But that doesn't mean we can't make out like two horny teenagers."

* * *

Two days later, after a small dinner party with all of their family and friends, Lucifer tossed and turned on his side of the bed. He was completely unable to shut off the gears, grinding away in his mind, causing a dull ache in the pit of his stomach and a tightness in his chest. By the time he finally found a comfortable position, curled up around his wife and listening to her faint snore, a loud cry came from the monitor on the nightstand. Chloe sturred, but he carefully untangled himself from her and eased off the bed, tying his robe as he quickly padded across the living room.

"Shh...what is it angel?" he whispered, her sweet little cheeks wet with tears as she wiggled in her crib. He scooped her up and gingerly leaned over John's crib, grateful he was still asleep, but watched him with a paranoid stillness until he moved. "Come on, let's not wake your brother," he kissed her soft brown hair on their way to the living room, snuggling her tiny frame to his chest. "What is it you desire, Baby Jane? You don't need changing and your little tummy's full…" he rubbed her back and chuckled, "Tummy. You'd never believe it, Princess, but _I_ used to rule Hell. And I just said...tummy."

He shook his head, yawning as he grabbed for a blanket from the couch and made his way out to the balcony. She calmed down almost instantly as he lay back on the bed sized lounger, covering them both up with the thin throw as she stretched out on his chest. "You're probably a bit like me, aren't you? I like to come out here when I'm feeling like that too," he kissed the tiny hand that reached up to his face and gently outlined the ridges in her shoulder blades.

She was still fussing a bit, but his talking soothed her, "Did you have fun with Auntie Maze tonight? She seems quite attached to her little namesake. In fact, I'm a bit surprised she hasn't brought you any blades yet." The little girl squeaked and plastered a cheek splitting grin on her dad's face, "I know, right? That sounds like a terrible idea. But your Uncle Amenadiel and I were talking about the house you and your siblings will grow up in tonight. Have I told you about that yet? Just don't tell mum, alright? I think it'll be done by Christmas. Your big sister and I went camping on the property once, well tried to anyway. Remind me I need to call an exterminator, would you? And have someone look into fences... Anyway, it's wooded and on top of a big hill so you'll be able to stretch your wings a bit when you're older. And your dear old dad here will teach you how to fly. How does that sound?"

At the mention of her wings, he found himself feeling a bit out of his element with that same strange sensation that tingled up his spine when Chloe pointed out his lone grey hair. "I'll probably give you this talk a million times when you're a teenager and I'm annoying the Hell out of you, but I want you to know how much I love you and your brother. I never... _ever_ knew I could feel the way I do about you two. Or your mum. Or your sister. But you have such an important job, my angel. Because, see...someday...your mum and I won't be here," when she started to fuss, he gently pulled her up closer and kissed her head as she settled down to the sound of his heartbeat, "shhh, not for a very long time, don't you worry. But when that happens, because of you, Trixie and John will still be able to go see your mum, just like you. Now, I just hope you're all old and grey by the time that's necessary... I just...I don't know if I'll be in the same place. So just in case I'm somewhere that I'm invoking my fatherly right to forbid you to see, I have to try and squeeze every single moment I possibly can, every single day with my kids. I'll probably go overboard, trying to show my family how much I love them, just ask you mum, but I'll never let you think I abandoned you, okay?"

She yawned, her little eyelids drooping, Lucifer's heart melted all over again as he wiped the tears off his cheeks. "Oh sorry, am I boring you? Let's see...was it you or your brother that liked my singing when you were still in your mum's tummy? Bloody Hell, I need to stop saying that word." He laughed quietly to himself as he felt her warm breath steady on his bare chest, " _Baby Jane, don't leave me hanging on the line. I knew you when you had no one to talk to..._ except your brother _. Now you're moving in high society. Don't forget that I know secrets about you. I used to think you were on my side. Now I'm no longer sure…_ because you're giving me grey hair… _When I give my heart again, I know...it's gonna last forever. No one told me I'd feel like this...I know...it's gonna last forever_."

"You sang that to them when I was pregnant," Chloe smiled, running her fingers through his hair and taking Lucifer's breath away as she stood in the faint moonlight with John. "Is this a celestial only party, or are us mere humans invited?"

He moved the blanket for her to join as she carefully laid the little boy next to his sister, kissing his son's head as Chloe settled next to him and laid a protective arm over her babies. "Happy birthday," he beamed at her, reaching down to kiss her beautiful lips as she smirked, her eyes already closed.

"Am I interrupting some Morningstar cuddle puddle?" Trixie asked, stepping out onto the balcony in her space pajamas, rubbing her eyes.

"Get over here, Brat," her stepdad whispered, putting a finger up to his lips and nodding to the two sleeping babies on his chest. He moved the blanket for her as well and opened his arms to let her into the pile on the other side, messing up her hair as she giggled.

"No arguments when I get you up for school tomorrow," Chloe winked, caressing her daughter's cheek overtop of the twins.

Trixie just yawned, nodding in the crook of Lucifer's arm before falling right back to sleep, mumbling something about a favorite step Devil. He chuckled, resting his head in his wife's silky blond hair, breathing in the vanilla and lilacs of her shampoo, now mixed with the faint scent of baby powder. With the comforting weight of his small children on his chest, he listened to his family's faint snores, looking up to the sky as the pain in the pit of his stomach faded.

Months ago, the love of his life said he needed to have faith in himself, in her, in his family, and in their future. Her words turned over and over in his head as he watched his tiny son reach over to grab the little angel's arm, squeezing tight enough to cause her to stir and inch closer to him. Before he knew it, Chloe was shifting up to kiss a tear off his cheek. "And people choose to procreate?" she teased, moving up so they could watch their children together.

"I think…" he had to swallow down the lump in his throat as he looked back up to the sky. "I think you may have been right about Him, Detective."

She nodded, resting her head on the pillow next to his, looking up to the black abyss with him before she closed her eyes again, a small, exhausted smile on her face. "I know. I'm always right, Lucifer."

As she fell back asleep, the Devil looked at his family and gave a playfully exasperated sigh, "I'm going to have to carry you all back to bed now, aren't I?" He attempted to move his arm out from under Trixie, but in doing so, he jostled the babies just enough to make John whimper in protest. "Shh, it's okay, son," he cooed, laying back down and kissing his little blond head. "It's okay. Daddy's not going anywhere, I promise." John's tiny mouth stretched into a wide yawn against Lucifer's chest, the new dad beaming proudly down at the two little lives he helped to create.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded ever so slightly and looked back up to the sky, "Alright Dad. Message received," he whispered. "Thank you."

* * *

 _**First and foremost: Credit to Douglas Adams for the small section of 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and Rod Stewart for both 'Forever Young' and 'Baby Jane'._

 _***Secondly: A huge huge huge thank you to all of my readers. I do hope this ending did not disappoint. I realize twins are a bit cliche in this fandom, but after Linda and Amenadiel took my original idea for a little boy named Charlie (haha), I could not for the life of me pick whether they were having a boy or a girl. Fast forward to about a week before I started writing the previous chapter: I had a single carton of eggs with three double yolkers and took it as a sign to go for it. I hope you don't mind. :) I'm also leaving this open for a future sequel or one-shots, but my next project has to be me and my health, so please be patient!_

 _I cannot tell you how much I appreciate every single one of you that has favorited, followed, reviewed, and encouraged me throughout this whole experience. It had been about ten years since I stuck with a writing project through to the end, and I never would have done that here without you guys. I love you._

 _Also, a huge thank you to my friend Victoria, for not only supporting my nerdiness and being an amazing friend since day one of college, but for introducing me to 'Lucifer' one random night before 'Outlander'. This is all your fault, but also thank you for being my first and loudest cheerleader! ;) And to Agni for reminding me mental health is as important as keeping my readers happy, Lylis for her help with what little French I incorporated in this chapter, and Lily for her artwork that acted as a constant source of inspiration, particularly her piece called The Embrace._

 _And to everyone in this fandom for welcoming me and every other newbie with open arms._

 _I'll see you at Lux!_

 _PS: Because I'm not exactly ready to say goodbye to this story just yet, I'm going to continue my little fanart project based around A Doting Devil, so follow me on Twitter at CoraSPWC if you're interested. :)_


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